What Price Justice
by babywhale512
Summary: Irma has survived evrything Nerissa could throw at her, but will she survive the fallout? What enemies seek to extract vengeance for Nerissa's murder? Part 3 in the "What Price..." Saga. Please R
1. Chapter 1

**Welcome, everyone, to What Price Justice, the third installment in the "What Price..." Saga. To everyone who read What Price Loyalty and What Price Vengeance, I thank you for your time and your commitment. To those of you who have not read WPL and WPV, I suggest strongly that you do before you read What Price Justice. I am pleased with the way WPL and WPV were received; everyone has been so supportive and helpful. I hope WPJ will not be a disappointment.**

**Now without further ado, may I present:**

**Chapter 1**

Tom Lair awoke with a start. Momentarily disoriented, his eyes darted around the dimly-lit hospital room. Then he remembered where he was...and why he was here.

Stretching hugely, the police sergeant rose from an uncomfortable chair and looked at his daughter. Her state remained unchanged, and she lay curled in a fetal position on the bed. His wife, Anna, sat near their daughter, clutching the young girl's pale hand in her own. Her thumb gently stroked the back of that hand, and her face was a mask of concern and despair.

Tom scrubbed his face with his hand and longed to do something to comfort the women in his life. His wife had become more and more despondent with each passing day. To see one's daughter in such a state had taken a toll on her heart. She had already collapsed once, and Tom worried for her health just as much as his daughter's. Anna seemed somehow fragile to him, now; a state he was not used to seeing in this head-strong woman.

Irma lay curled exactly as she had been for the last week. She hadn't spoken in all that time, and her eyes moved only to blink occasionally. Tom was no doctor, but he knew his daughter was in trouble. Something awful had happened to her that Sergeant Lair didn't completely understand. All he knew was that it had changed her life forever.

Tom knew from Irma's friends that her powers had been taken, but he didn't know why. He had been about to ask when Irma had suddenly started seizing. Without another thought, he had scooped up his daughter and raced for the car. Since then, though Irma's friends had visited every day, Tom had not spoken much with any of them. But that was going to change today. He needed answers to help him understand how to help his daughter.

The big policeman sighed heavily and ran his hand through his thinning brown hair. He felt helpless and this made him angry. As a child he had been taught to protect his loved ones and to make certain they felt loved and safe in every way. These values, instilled in him by his father, were partially why he had become a cop. Now all his training was useless, and Tom felt as helpless as a newborn kitten.

He gazed at his daughter, so rigid and still. He thought back on the past week and wondered if there was something he should have done differently. Maybe if he had been quicker to get her to the hospital they would have been able to stop the catatonia. But deep in his heart, Tom knew there was nothing he could have done.

But this didn't stop him from kicking himself.

Then Dr. Russ had mentioned moving Irma to Heatherfield Hills where he thought she could be more comfortable. Tom's initial reaction had been to punch the man. But years of police discipline had held him back long enough to simply mumble a polite, yet, firm, "no." These white-coats weren't going to pawn off his daughter...they were going to stick by her until she was cured!

Tom moved to the side of his daughter's bed and placed his meaty hand on the girl's forehead. She felt clammy. His eyes locked with Anna's and both knew what the other was thinking. What if Irma never snapped out of this?

–

Will awoke Saturday morning with a determined expression on her face. Today was judgment day for the Oracle and the entire Council of Kandrakar. They had done a terrible thing to her friend and she was determined to find out why.

The redhead showered and dressed quickly then clomped down the stairs for breakfast.

"Good morning, sweetie," her mother said. Susan Vandom was already spooning eggs and bacon onto plates.

"Hey," was the response she got.

Will and her Mom hadn't been getting along of late. Will deemed her mother too nosy and annoying, and Susan deemed Will too reserved and introverted. Perhaps if Susan knew what was really bothering her daughter, she would be more understanding. As it was, the woman simply thought Will was suffering from normal teenage brain damage. Though she had tried to get Will to open up to her, the redhead had remained firm in her quest to shut her mother out of her life.

"So what's on the agenda today?" Susan asked, trying to make conversation as she set a plate of food and a glass of orange juice before her daughter.

Will thought quickly. She couldn't exactly reveal what she was really planning...not to her mother, anyway.

"I thought I would go up to the hospital and see how Irma's doing."

Susan nodded sympathetically. She knew something had happened to her daughter's friend, but she was still unsure as to what.

"Have the doctors come up with anything new?"

Will shook her head. "All they know is Irma had a seizure and then went all catnip, or something."

Susan grinned. "Catatonic, sweetie, catatonic."

"Yeah, that."

Susan regarded Will with a searching expression. "Don't you wonder what happened to cause this?"

_Not really, _Will thought. _I already know what happened._

Rather than reveal these thoughts to her mother, Will simply shrugged. "They'll find something eventually, I guess."

Susan knew this was an indicator to drop the subject. "I have to head into the office for a few hours this morning. We're putting in a new network and I want to be there to help work out all the kinks."

"Whatever."

The rest of breakfast was eaten in mostly silence. A little small talk was all that flew around the table. Presently, Will rose and placed her dishes in the dishwasher.

"Thanks for breakfast, mom. I'll see you later."

"Call me later this afternoon and let me know how things are?"

Will nodded. "Sure. Good luck with the network."

"Thank you. Ride carefully."

"I will. See ya'."

Will grabbed her jacket near the door and left the apartment. Susan sighed and cleared her dishes. She would give anything to be able to understand her daughter's recent behavior. Lately, she had seemed withdrawn and even her favorite activities seemed to hold no interest for her. She had not visited the pool in weeks, and Susan was worried.

Still, she supposed the best way to handle it was to let her daughter know she was available and let the teenager come to her when she was ready.

If only that time could be sooner rather than later.

–

Hay Lin awoke and got ready quickly. No helping out at the Silver Dragon today. Nope...she was hospital-bound.

Hopefully she could get out before her parents woke up.

And those hopes came to fruition, as the Asian girl managed to sneak her way past her still-slumbering parents. Even her grandmother dozed comfortably.

Hay Lin thought a lot about the past week. Everything that had happened had shaken her faith in the Council and in her duties as a Guardian. Was this what awaited all of them in the future? Hay Lin didn't want to end up in the hospital, and she felt terrible that Irma had. After everything she had been through, to end up like this...it just wasn't right.

Hay Lin grabbed her bike and rode slowly towards downtown Heatherfield. Her thoughts turned to the Lair family. Tom and Anna were so worried, and felt so helpless. Neither one of them had talked to Irma's friends much; a part of Hay Lin thought they blamed them for what had happened to their daughter.

The truth was, Hay Lin _did_ blame herself. If she had truly fulfilled her role as Defender, this wouldn't have happened. The decision to strip Irma of her powers had blindsided everybody, but Hay Lin still felt she should have anticipated something like this.

What was worse, Hay Lin felt she knew why the Oracle had done it...and she partially agreed with his decision.

Hay Lin growled inwardly. What kind of a friend was she? Her best friend was lying catatonic in the hospital, and here she was supporting the person who had caused it. Well, not supporting, exactly, but understanding, nevertheless.

The Air Guardian shook her head and tried to banish these thoughts as she continued towards her destination. She was determined to help Irma and the Lair family all she could...and that meant never voicing these thoughts to anyone.

–

Will arrived at Shell Cave, a favorite jumping-off point to Kandrakar. She felt she should arrive in official capacity, so she transformed herself into her Guardian Form.

Satisfied that she looked the part, Will opened a fold to the Fortress Between Worlds and stepped through. She was surprised to see the Oracle already waiting for her.

"I wondered when you would visit, young Keeper," he said with a smile.

"Yeah, I guess you would be wondering that," Will snapped. She was not in the mood for pleasantries, and the Oracle seemed to pick up on that.

"You wish answers, do you not?"

Will nodded and crossed her arms. "Do you even know what's happened to Irma since you stripped her powers away?"

The Oracle nodded. "I do."

"Then you know you have to reverse it immediately. Without her powers, she's only going to get worse."

The Oracle sighed sadly. "Tragically, young Guardian, I cannot do that."

"Can't do that? You're the one that did it in the first place. Of course you can undo it."

"Yes, you are correct, I can undo it. But I will not...not at this point."

Will narrowed her eyes dangerously. "Tell me why," she said softly, through gritted teeth.

The Oracle sat down in a plush chair and invited Will to do the same. The Keeper remained standing.

"Young Keeper, there is much of the world you do not understand. You have grown much over the last month, but you are still so very young."

"Then educate me. Tell me what I don't understand."

The Oracle nodded slowly. "Your friend is a danger to herself right now, and a danger to those around her. Her mid has become unstable and clouded with what I believe to be an addiction to her powers. If I am correct, then it is my responsibility to try and protect you and the other Guardians in whatever way I feel I can."

"Oh so _now_ you want to protect us. Where were you when Irma was being tortured to death? Or when the Mage cast that awful spell that turned her brain into mush? Or when we got our asses kicked so badly, Irma felt she had to go all Thunderdome with Nerissa? Where were you then?"

The Oracle looked sad. "Mistakes have been made, but I assure you, had I the power to see what would happen, I would have died to prevent it all."

"You're the Oracle," Will said exasperatedly. "You're _supposed_ to be able to see this crap."

"You do not understand my powers, nor how they work, young Keeper. Nerissa was a powerful woman with the ability to somehow block my Sight. Would that I could have been more help, but, alas, she was too powerful even for me."

"Then it's a damn good thing we did your job and got rid of the bitch for you."

To Will's surprise, the Oracle nodded. "It is better that Nerissa is gone, I agree. But that is not why Irma Lair was stripped of her powers."

"Then tell me why," Will said dangerously.

"I have already told you, Guardian. You refuse to accept it."

"What, that Irma is a danger to everyone around her? She would never hurt her friends."

"And yet, she has hurt her friends on many occasions this past month. She has attacked all of you on at least one occasion. The Earth Guardian she would have killed had not her Chamber interfered."

"Those were isolated incidents. They're the exception, not the rule."

The Oracle shook his head. "It is good that you feel so strongly for your friend, but it is clouding what is so plain to you. You know in your heart that Irma is too unstable to be thrust into battle with your enemies. She may turn on you at any moment without even realizing what she is doing. Her mind has been severely damaged by Nerissa, and she needs time to recover before she can bear the responsibilities of Guardianship. She must turn to herself now, and as long as she feels a duty to protect others, she will never allow herself to heal."

"So you think taking away her only lifeline is going to help her? She's a freaking addict, big man. You can't just force her to do this cold turkey."

"What is done, is done. I will not undo it until Irma has shown sufficient evidence that she can handle herself."

"You're going to turn her into a damn schizophrenic is what you're going to do," Will said desperately. "I read about this stuff on the internet, and Irma is dangerously close to that."

"All the more reason you should understand why I did what I did. With schizophrenia, one cannot distinguish between fantasy and reality. We have seen evidence of this in Irma's behavior. Though you may not wish to admit it, you have seen this, as well."

Will looked to the side and thought. The attack on Martin sprang to mind and the time she ran out of class because she thought Frost was waiting for her. Yes, Will had to admit, she had seen evidence of Irma being incapable of distinguishing reality.

The Oracle continued. "Irma may not be able to understand that her friends are her friends. She may mistake you for her enemies."

Will thought about this. Irma had attacked Hay Lin on more than one occasion, and nearly punched Taranee. She had also nearly strangled Cornelia in her sleep.

"Irma has tasted blood, and it may be difficult for her to restrain herself should she see her attackers again," the Oracle said softly.

Will's thoughts turned to the chain lightning she had so gleefully used to punish the Knights of Vengeance. They also turned, again, to the attack on Martin. Will felt sure Irma would have beaten the boy to death had not Hay Lin stopped her.

"She may also be suicidal, and that is the most dangerous situation of all," the Oracle intoned.

Will opened her mouth to retort, but closed it again slowly. So far she couldn't really argue with anything the Oracle had said. What if Irma really was suicidal? Will knew her friend had talked of self-loathing and how much she hated what had happened. She talked of wanting to die rather than live with the pain and darkness she had become. She had even told Will she should have let her die. To be truthful, Will had been worried for some time that Irma would hurt herself.

The young Keeper turned her back to the Oracle and sat down on one of the silver steps. The Oracle's words rang through her mind, and she felt herself reeling from their truthfulness. Irma was a danger to herself and to those around her. Will could see it now, and she felt angry at herself for not seeing it before. But what made her even angrier was the way she was almost agreeing with the Oracle. Irma was her friend, and Will felt as though she was abandoning her.

Feelings of self-doubt began to surface anew as the young Guardian thought of every mistake she had made. Again she began to question whether she had been right to save Irma's life with the Joining. The Oracle had had nothing to do with that decision; it had been hers, and hers, alone. Deep down, Will thought the Joining had done more damage to Irma than the Mage's spell, and she knew she, alone, was responsible for that.

Will clenched her fists and, again, questioned her abilities to lead. She should have seen the self-destruction of her friend and realized she needed a break. To continually throw her into battle with Nerissa had been a mistake...one that had nearly cost Irma her life and the lives of her family. Her friend had been willing to give up the Heart of Kandrakar to save herself further torment; that should have set off alarm bells in Will's head.

But the Keeper had simply kept pushing, figuring Irma needed her duties to distract her from her tortures. She still felt like stripping Irma of her powers was not the best way to handle things, but she began to understand why it had been done.

"What am I supposed to do, now?" Will asked quietly. "How am I supposed to protect Irma from this?"

The Oracle rose and moved to Will's side. He placed his smooth hand on her shoulder. "You cannot protect her, young Keeper. She must learn to forgive herself before she can truly begin to heal. Once she can truly do this, her powers will be restored."

"So it's up to Irma when she gets her powers back?" Will asked.

The Oracle nodded. "It is, but she must learn this on her own. She will need your support and your faith in her."

"What if that's not enough?" Will despaired, tears beginning to form at her brown eyes. "What if she never wakes up?"

The Oracle sat down next to the redhead. "She will need all of her friends to help her through this darkness. She will need to know she is safe, and that is sanctuary you can help provide. Do not leave her alone, young Keeper. You must be constantly on guard, now, but for different reasons."

"This isn't really a punishment is it," Will said. "This is an effort to try and help her."

The Oracle nodded. "It seems harsh and unnecessary, but I assure you, my only wish is to help, not harm."

"Then maybe you should give her back a little bit of her powers. You know, help ween her off gradually?"

"It would be like giving an addict more of the substance he craves," the Oracle said, shaking his head.

"Like giving a junkie a hit?"

The Oracle smiled. "I am unfamiliar with that reference, but if it makes sense to you, then yes."

"But we have to do something," Will said, looking the bald man directly in the eye. "We helped create the monster."

The Oracle cocked his head. "This is not your fault, young Keeper. You did nothing wrong."

"I made the decision to put Irma through the Joining. That caused a lot of mental and emotional damage. So yes, in a way, it is my fault."

The Oracle took Will's chin in his hand. "Would you feel better if Irma were now dead?"

Will thought carefully before answering. "If I had known then what I know now...yes, I think I would. I now know there are worse things than death."

"Then you have grown so much more than I thought, young Guardian. Allow me to put your mind at ease somewhat. Who was it that suggested the Joining in the first place?"

Will racked her brain. "The Mage," she said finally.

The Oracle nodded. "Think of all the implications of that. Then understand the deeper meaning and motive behind that suggestion."

Will narrowed her eyes and thought on the Oracle's statement. It had been Nerissa's plan all along to keep Irma alive. She had made a mistake and nearly killed her, and she knew it. She had to find a way to undo that mistake, and the Joining provided that solution. It even made it better somehow; now Nerissa would have a lot more damage to play with.

Will buried her beautiful face in her hands. "I played right into Nerissa's hands."

The Oracle gently pulled the redhead's hands away from her face. "Nerissa played us all, my young friend. She even cast a spell that pitted us all against one another. Not even I was powerful enough to see through it. Thankfully, the Guardians managed to defeat her, or all would have been lost."

The two sat in silence for a time while Will thought about what the Oracle had said. Finally, she spoke.

"What are we supposed to do now? We need a Water Guardian. Our powers are weaker when we're apart."

"I do not anticipate another threat in the near future, with Nerissa finally gone. I have faith that you and your fellow Guardians can bring Irma around soon. I do not believe this condition will last long, nor will it be permanent. Give Irma hope, and be her light in the darkness."

As Will nodded, it suddenly hit her. She knew how to bring Irma out of her catatonic state. She rose excitedly to her feet and turned to the Oracle.

"I think I know how to start. I need to get back to Earth immediately."

"Then go, young Keeper," the Oracle said, rising to his feet.

"Thank you for talking with me," Will said humbly. "I admit I came here looking for a fight. I was all set to wrestle with you and force you to give Irma's powers back."

The Oracle chuckled. "I know. You have good reason and a great heart. You love your friend, and I can see where this action could be perceived as an attack."

"I'm still not sure you did the right thing, but at least now I understand why you did it."

"Then it is well. Go to your friend, now."

Will nodded purposefully and quickly created a fold. With a lighter step than she had before, she stepped confidently through.

Once back in Shell Cave, Will turned back into her human form and raced back to her apartment to retrieve her bike. She had to get to the hospital as quickly as possible. But she needed everyone to be there at the same time.

_Taranee, can you hear me?_

_I'm here, Will. What's got you so excited?_

_I think I know how to help Irma. Can you contact the others and get them to the hospital?_

_I'm already on the way. I called Hay Lin and she's been there for over an hour. Cornelia just woke up, but she's planning on going as soon as she gets ready._

_Good. It's important that Irma sees all of us when she wakes up._

_Care to fill me in on your plan, Will?_

_Not right now, T. I'll let you know everything when I get there. See you soon._

With that, Will cut the mental link and ran even faster.

–

Raythor and the other Knights of Vengeance stepped through the fold created by the Water Guardian. He found himself standing on a grassy hill, a gentle breeze blowing through the air. He still carried Nerissa's body.

As the fold closed behind him, Raythor looked around at the other Knights.

"Whatever it takes, lads, we're going to have our revenge. We are the Knights of Vengeance, and those filthy Guardians have taken our leader. If it's the last thing I do, I will extract justice."

Frost indicated the lifeless corpse in Raythor's arms. "We should give her a proper burial."

Raythor nodded. "Start digging, boys. Use your weapons as tools. After we're finished, we seek our vengeance."

So the Knights began to dig a hole using whatever aid their weapons could provide. After two hours, they finally had a hole sufficient to hold Nerissa's body. Raythor lovingly deposited the corpse into the hole and joined the other Knights in filling it up. Upon completion of their task, Raythor wiped the sweat from his brow, and looked around.

There appeared to be a busy road below him. There were cars moving along the road, and Raythor could hear their impatient honking. As he continued to look around, he noticed a mountain in the distance with a strange sign: _HOLLYWOOD._

Raythor had no idea what this Hollywood was, but he knew enough about Earth to recognize it when he saw it. He had been to Earth before and he knew a little about cars and their paved roadways. He supposed there could be another planet with cars and paved roadways, but his zeal for vengeance had caught him in its web. With a glint in his eyes, he turned to his fellow Knights.

"We're on Earth, boys. A place called Hollywood. All we have to do is find our way to Heatherfield and we'll have our revenge."

"How are we supposed to do that?" Frost asked.

Raythor turned to Miranda. "You've been here most often. Where is Heatherfield?"

Miranda shrugged. "I don't know, but if we _borrow_ a map, we can surely find it."

"Then go," Raythor commanded. "Go find us a map we can use to find those Guardians."

Miranda morphed herself into the young girl she had used many times to fool people into thinking she was human. With an evil grin, she set off down the hill.

"What do we do in the meantime?" Frost asked.

"We wait," Raythor responded. "It won't be long, now."

–

**And there's chapter 1 of What Price Justice. I hope everyone enjoyed it, but if not, that's okay, too. Please let me know how I did. You know you want to hit that button. **


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello again and welcome back to What Price Justice. I would like to try something a little new and save the well-deserved acknowledgments for the end of the chapter. That way we can jump right into:**

**Chapter 2**

Hay Lin morosely parked her bike and walked towards the hospital entrance. The day was cool with very little cloud cover in the sky. The sun shone brightly, and Hay Lin wished her heart could revel in the perfection of nature.

But she wasn't joyful or even a little cheerful...she was depressed. Every day for the past week she had visited her friend in the hospital, every day hoping for some change in her condition. And every day she was disappointed. Sometimes it felt like Irma would be in this coma-like state forever.

Hay Lin entered the hospital and walked automatically to the elevator. Arriving at the fourth floor, she moved down the hall as if in a trance. She paid little heed to where she was going because her feet knew the way to Irma's room. It was because of this indifference that she walked right by Tom Lair, who was talking with a nurse.

"Hay Lin," Tom called, excusing himself from his conversation.

The Air Guardian jumped and turned quickly.

"Oh, hi, Mr. Lair," she said in a deadpan voice.

Tom moved quickly to the girl's said and placed his hand on her shoulder.

"Can we go somewhere and talk?" he asked.

Hay Lin had been expecting this for some time, but she still didn't feel ready to explain what had happened to his daughter. She felt her failure to protect Irma like a knife in her gut, and having to tell her father that was the last thing Hay Lin wanted. Still, what could she do to get out of it? So Hay Lin gave in.

"Sure, Mr. Lair. What did you have in mind?"

"Have you eaten yet?"

Hay Lin silently shook her head.

"Then how about I buy you some breakfast? We can talk over toast or something."

Hay Lin didn't feel like eating. Her stomach felt queasy and her insides churned at the very thought of food. But what choice did she have?

"Sounds good. Thank you," Hay Lin answered.

She followed the police sergeant back to the elevator and they rode the car down to the first floor. Neither party spoke while they loaded their trays with food from the cafeteria. Hay Lin took only some toast with jam, and a small jug of milk.

As the two sat down at a corner table, Hay Lin felt her insides beginning to churn even more. She dreaded what she was sure was coming, and she felt trapped. She tried to act as if nothing was wrong, as she scraped strawberry jam over her toast. Tom tried to wait politely, but couldn't stand it for very long.

"Hay Lin," he began, "how are you holding up?"

Hay Lin was a little shocked by this question. She had been hoping her depression hadn't shown through, but she supposed the change in her normally-effervescent personality had been like a neon sign.

"I'm okay, I guess," she shrugged, still concentrating on her toast. She wished to avoid eye-contact with the policeman as long as possible.

"Hay Lin, don't lie to a cop," Tom said gently, his crooked grin trying to comfort the teenager.

Hay Lin sighed and put down her toast. She finally looked into Tom's brown eyes as her own began to tear-up.

"I'm a mess," she said softly. "I can't sleep, I don't eat. I'm so worried I can barely function at school. I feel like I'm falling apart. I don't know what to do."

Tom reached across the table and covered the trembling Guardian's hand. "Hay Lin, you're Irma's best friend. It's natural for you to worry about her. But you need to worry more about yourself, now. Irma's going to need you when she wakes up, and if you continue to harm yourself like this, you won't be in any condition to help her."

"I can't help anyone, Mr. Lair. I couldn't help Irma before and I'm afraid I can't help her now."

Tom narrowed his eyes. "What's happened to Irma is _not_ your fault. I don't know what happened, but I refuse to believe you had anything to do with it."

"I failed to protect her," Hay Lin replied, her voice barely above a whisper. "I told her I wouldn't let them hurt her, and I lied."

"Who hurt Irma?"

"The Oracle. He took her powers away."

Tom sat back in his chair and blew out a heavy breath. He was starting to understand something, but he needed Hay Lin to confirm it.

"Hay Lin, I need to ask you something, and I want you to be totally honest with me. Can you do that?"

Hay Lin nodded apprehensively.

Tom hesitated only a moment. "Hay Lin, how dependent was Irma on her powers?"

Hay Lin closed her eyes, and spoke slowly. "She...she told me...she told me they had become an addiction. That she didn't feel safe without water around her."

"What does that mean, exactly?"

"It means Irma's addicted to her element. And having that addiction suddenly taken away..."

"...Would cause a traumatic reaction in the addict," Tom Lair finished.

Hay Lin nodded.

Tom sighed and scrubbed his hand down his face. He looked at the ceiling, pondering what Hay Lin had just told him. If his daughter truly depended on water that much, then the best thing to do would be to take her home and immerse her in a swimming pool or a bathtub. Of course, the danger of an unconscious person drowning had to play some part in rational thought. Still, Tom thought now that his daughter would recover better at home.

But he still wanted more answers first.

"Hay Lin, you said Irma didn't feel safe without water around her. How long has this been going on?"

Hay Lin shrugged. "I don't really know; a few weeks, I would guess."

"How could she function at school? How could she even _get _to school without freaking out?"

"I don't know about functioning in school, but you know how we've been having an unusual amount of rain over the past month?"

Tom nodded.

Hay Lin continued. "Well, that was Irma's doing."

The policeman's eyes widened and his mouth dropped open. "She can _do_ _that_?"

"She has command over everything water-based, Mr. Lair."

"So she can control the weather."

Hay Lin shook her head. "No, she can control the _water_, not the weather."

"So she can make it rain whenever she wants."

Hay Lin nodded. "She can not only control water, but she can also command it. Water does whatever she wants it to do."

Tom wasn't sure how he felt about someone having so much power. No wonder it had become so addicting. And to give this power to a mere child...what was this Oracle thinking?

Hay Lin was speaking again. "Of course, when she's in her Guardian Form her powers are much more potent. She could flood this whole city if she wanted to."

"And what made someone think that giving this kind of power to a child was a good idea?" Tom asked with a dangerous glare.

Hay Lin chose her words carefully. "Honestly, Mr. Lair, I don't think of it that way. Our powers are designed to help people, not to destroy the world. None of us wants to flood Heatherfield, or drop a hurricane on Cleveland; we just want to make sure people are safe from the bad guys."

"And who makes sure the good guys don't get hurt when the bad guys get out of hand?"

"We watch each other's backs."

Tom crossed his arms. "Yeah, I can see that."

Hay Lin swallowed and lowered her eyes to her toast, still untouched on her plate.

Tom sighed and let his arms fall into his lap. "Hay Lin, I'm sorry. This isn't your fault. None of this is your fault. You didn't torture my daughter or get her addicted to her powers. I was out of line in what I said. You four girls mean everything to Irma, and I can see how much you care about her. You would never have let any of this happen if it could have been avoided."

"They ambushed her, Mr. Lair. They targeted and abducted her. We didn't realize what was going on until it was too late."

"You found her before they killed her. That's what's important, Hay Lin."

The Air Guardian gulped slightly and decided not to tell Irma's father that that was not entirely the case.

"Tell me more about this Oracle," Tom said, breaking an awkward silence. "Who is he?"

"He's the head of the Council of Kandrakar. He watches over the universe and determines when the Guardians are need to protect it."

"Irma told me about Kandrakar," Tom nodded. "So I guess the Oracle is the man in charge?"

Hay Lin nodded. "You could say that, I guess."

"And he's responsible for taking Irma's powers away?"

Again, Hay Lin merely nodded.

"Well I guess he doesn't know anything about addiction."

"He's not from our world, Mr. Lair; and he had to do something..."

Hay Lin knew immediately she had made a mistake, and wished she could take those words back. Maybe Mr. Lair wouldn't pick up on it...

"Something about what?" Tom asked, narrowing his eyes.

_Busted_.

With a sigh, Hay Lin explained what Irma had done, and how the Council had put her on trial for Nerissa's murder. She explained how the Council had acquitted Irma, but that the Oracle had stripped her of her powers, nonetheless.

"It was awful to watch," Hay Lin said, still staring at her uneaten toast. "It was like someone losing their soul."

Tom was aghast. He had no idea what to say. His daughter had _murdered_ someone? How was that possible? His innocent little girl, a murderer? Tom refused to believe it.

"But it was self-defense, right? I mean she killed that woman to protect herself, didn't she?"

Hay Lin knew it was no use arguing with this man, nor did she want to. All she wanted was to get away and to go see her friend.

"She did it to protect herself and to protect all of you. She knew Nerissa would never stay away, and that she would never stop until you were all dead."

"Then how could they call her a murderer? How could _you_ call her a murderer?"

_Damn, he's good. He never misses anything._

"Because Irma, herself, admitted that what she did, she did out of revenge. She admitted to murdering Nerissa."

Tom Lair leaned forward and took Hay Lin's chin in his hand. Gently he raised the small Guardian's head so he could look deep into her brown eyes.

"What aren't you telling me?"

Hay Lin squirmed under that gaze. It seemed to pierce her to her heart, and she knew she would never get away with anything but the complete truth. So she returned the sergeant's gaze and tried to speak with conviction.

"Nerissa had surrendered and Irma killed her anyway, even though Irma said she would let her live."

Tom released Hay Lin's chin and sat back in his chair. He felt drained. His daughter _was_ a murderer, though under extenuating circumstances. It was common for battered women to turn on their abusers and to kill them even when they were helpless. How could these circumstances, though certainly unique in their own right, be any different from those? Still, he knew of many women who had been convicted of lesser charges in these types of killings and had actually served prison time. Was this the Oracle's way of punishing a murderer without throwing the book at her?

"I don't know what to say..."

Hay Lin nodded and looked sympathetically at the big policeman. "Neither did I, at first. But then I realized that our friendship was more important than anything. She's been through so much, you can't judge her on this."

Tom nodded pensively. "She's my daughter, Hay Lin. I love her no matter what. What we have to do now is figure out how to get her through this."

Hay Lin shrugged again. "I don't know how to wake her up."

"Neither do I, but I think getting her discharged from here might help. Maybe if we put her in the bathtub or something, she'll feel safe and snap out of it."

"Isn't that kind of like giving a junkie a hit?"

Tom chuckled in spite of the graveness of the situation. "Maybe a little, but trying to get a junkie to go clean cold turkey doesn't usually work out too well. Besides, I think water is a little less harmful than crack."

With that Tom Lair slid his chair back, his french toast completely untouched. He stood up and Hay Lin followed his lead.

"What say we blow this joint and go check on Irma?"

Hay Lin grinned slightly, though it didn't meet her eyes. She merely nodded and picked up her own untouched plate of toast.

After they had bussed their tables, Tom and Hay Lin walked to the elevator in silence. There was nothing more to say, and Hay Lin felt grateful that Tom hadn't asked why she felt responsible for what had happened to Irma.

As they approached the elevator, they saw Will waiting for the car.

"Will," Hay Lin said.

Will turned her head and smiled at her friend.

"Hay Lin, Mr. Lair," she acknowledged.

"Hello, Will," Tom said. "Here to see Irma?"

"Actually," Will said slowly, "I might have an idea to help her."

The elevator car dropped to the first floor and the doors slid open. The trio stood aside for the people exiting the car, then entered, themselves, and pushed the button for the fourth floor.

"Tell me," Tom said when the doors had closed.

"Not here," Will mumbled. "It shouldn't be discussed in public."

Tom set his jaw, but he thought he understood. He bounced on the balls of his feet as the elevator took its own sweet time ascending. Finally the doors opened and the trio made their way to Irma's room.

Will wasn't surprised to see the other Guardians already there, along with Anna Lair. Irma lay curled in the bed.

"What took you so long, Will?" Cornelia smirked.

"How is she?" Will asked, ignoring her earthy friend.

"There's been no change," Anna said. "The doctors are baffled. They've never seen catatonia be so resistant to treatment."

A vein twitched in Tom's head, but he remained silent. Best not to burden his fragile wife with what he had just learned.

"Well, I think I may have a way to help with that," Will said, approaching Irma's bedside. She placed her hand on Irma's forehead and moved her auburn hair out of her face.

"Well don't keep us in suspense," Cornelia said. "What is it?"

Will shook her head. "We can't discuss it here."

Cornelia sighed and was about to retort when Will held up her hand.

"Mr. Lair, is there any chance you can get Irma discharged?"

"This is a hospital, not a prison. I think I can swing that."

Mr. Lair left the room to go see about getting his daughter released.

Anna looked around at the girls. "Thank you for being so loyal to my daughter. She really adores you girls, you know."

"We adore her, Mrs. Lair," Taranee said. "She's a part of us."

"Yeah, she keeps things...interesting," Cornelia said.

Hay Lin shot the blonde a glare. "What Cornelia means is that Irma keeps things light."

Cornelia returned Hay Lin's glare. "Yeah, that."

After ten minutes, Tom returned with a nurse and Doctor Russ. The nurse began to unhook the machines and to remove the IV.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Dr. Russ was asking. "It really is against my judgment."

"I think she'll recover better at home, now, Dr. Russ," Tom replied.

"Alright," Dr. Russ sighed. "I can't really stop you."

"No, you can't," Tom said, shaking his head.

"The nurse at the front desk will have a few papers for you to sign before you go."

Tom nodded. "I understand. Thank you for all you've done."

"Good luck to you and to Irma," the doctor said as he exited the room.

It didn't take long for the nurse to finish unhooking everything, and soon Taranee was pushing a wheelchair bearing precious cargo. Anna signed the forms at the desk while Tom cleared their belongings from the room. The other Guardians hovered around Irma's wheelchair, protective of their friend.

After a few minutes, Anna returned to the group.

"Well, that's done," she said.

At the same time, Tom joined the group.

"I have everything, Anna. Are we ready to go?"

Anna nodded. "I think so. Let's hurry, Tom."

Soon five Guardians and two adults were crammed into the Lairs' minivan. The girls' bikes resided in the back. Tom pulled away from the parking lot and steered the vehicle towards his home. He glanced at the rear-view mirror and his eyes met Will's.

"Now can we talk?" he asked.

Will supposed no one could hear them in the car. So she nodded and began to speak.

"Taranee's a telepath. I think she can reach Irma mentally and bring her out of this."

"Um, Will? In case you've forgotten, I already tried that, remember?"

"Yeah, but not with the Heart of Kandrakar to enhance your abilities."

"Can you do that?" Anna asked, turning her head around to see Will's face.

"Well it worked once when Irma...when we were trying to find Irma. Hay Lin was able to contact her and help us find her."

"How did she do that?" Tom asked, as he made a left turn.

"It's really too hard to explain right now," Hay Lin said, "but the bottom line is I think the Heart could help Taranee to reach Irma, too."

"Can you do it right now?" Anna asked breathlessly.

"It's really better if we wait until she's in a safer place," Will responded. "It might even help if we could get her into some water."

Anna looked confused, but Tom nodded. "We can do that."

Ten minutes later the minivan pulled into the driveway of the Lair residence. Seven people piled out, Tom carrying his daughter gently.

"Where's Chris?" Cornelia asked.

"We sent him to stay with his grandmother for the week," Anna responded. "It's better that he not know what's happening, and we were trying to hide him in case...in case..."

"In case Irma lost," Hay Lin supplied quietly.

Anna nodded.

The group filed into the house and headed upstairs to Irma's bedroom. Anna held the door so Tom could carry Irma through. With the Guardians following behind, Tom and Anna led the way into the bathroom. While Anna filled the tub with water, Tom turned to Will.

"Is this going to work? Can you really contact my daughter like this?"

"If she's in there, Taranee will find her," Will said determinedly.

"Tom, the bath is ready," Anna said.

The big policeman turned from Will and gently laid his daughter in the watery tub. He was careful to hold her head above the water so she wouldn't drown.

Will nodded to Taranee, and pulled the Heart of Kandrakar from around her neck. Holding it tight in her fist, she silently commanded the glowing jewel to help Taranee contact Irma.

Taranee approached the bathtub and closed her eyes. She took a deep breath and began to concentrate.

_Irma, can you hear me?_

Only silence met the Fire Guardian's thoughts. Taranee tried again.

_Irma, please, can you hear me?_

Taranee pricked her ears even though she listened with her mind. Her head turned slightly left as she strained to hear what only she could hear.

_Irma, are you here?_

Taranee listened closely, but was met by only silence. For several minutes she strained her ears and her mind, but was met with disappointment. Finally, she opened her eyes and turned to Will.

"It's no use, Will; I can't-"

Suddenly, Taranee's head snapped back to Irma. She had heard something!

"Taranee, what-"

But the Fire Guardian held up her hand to silence Will's question. She stared deep into Irma's unblinking eyes, searching for any sign of...anything.

Then she heard it again.

_Taranee!_

Immediately, Taranee placed her hands on either side of Irma's head, careful not to bump Sergeant Lair. She set her jaw and continued to stare into her friend's impossibly blue eyes.

_Irma, it's Taranee. I'm here._

The answer came so faintly, that at first, Taranee thought it was just an echo of her own mental voice. But as she concentrated, she discovered it was not her voice, but Irma's.

_Taranee...help me._

_Irma, I'm here. Where are you?_

_Please help me._

Irma's voice was so faint, it was like listening to a radio station with bad reception. Taranee could barely make out the words. She had to get closer.

_Irma, I'm coming to you. Tell me where you are._

_I...don't...lost...can't...help._

Taranee caught only every third word or so. This was getting her nowhere. She needed some direction; a place to start looking. The mind was a huge labyrinth of thoughts and emotions; the last thing Taranee wanted was to sift through every single synapse to find a solitary thought. It would take too much time, and Taranee needed to find Irma now.

_Irma, can you follow my voice? Can you come to me?_

The response this time was so faint, Taranee couldn't even make out words...just sound. She had to be going the wrong way. She "doubled back" and continued talking.

_Irma, you've got to help me find you. Tell me where you are._

_Taranee, I'm cold._

_I know. I'm trying to help you. Keep talking and I can follow your voice._

_It's so cold...and dark here. Where am I?_

Taranee stopped. Could it be Irma had no idea what was going on? Was she so far gone that she truly didn't know where she was? This was worse than Taranee had feared.

_Irma, I'm in your head. I'm trying to find your consciousness. _

_Get out of my head! You don't belong here._

_Irma I'm trying to help you. I have to be here._

_Get out!_

_Well if you would wake up on your own and stop all this nonsense, I would!_

_Wake up? What do you mean? What's happened to me?_

Irma's mental voice was getting stronger; Taranee knew she was close.

_You're gonna be fine, but you need to wake up now. Just follow me and I'll lead you out._

_No. It's not safe out there. She'll find me._

_Who will find you?_

_Nerissa._

_Nerissa is dead, Irma. She's not coming back._

_No; she's here. In here with me. She's looking for me._

Taranee was puzzled. She didn't understand what that meant. Nerissa was dead; how could she still be tormenting anyone? Was the mere memory of the evil hag enough to drive Irma insane?

_Irma, what are you talking about? Nerissa is gone. She can't hurt you anymore._

_Oh no! She found me! Help me! Taranee!_

_Irma!_

Silence.

_Irma!_

Right at that second, Irma's body arched its back and began to thrash around the tub. Water was sprayed everywhere as the partially-immersed girl bucked and kicked. Taranee was thrown back by the force of the thrashing, while Tom Lair held his daughter's arms with all his might.

"Irma!" Anna cried out, starting a breakneck approach to the tub.

"No, Anna; stay back!" Tom commanded. He didn't want his wife to be injured by the violence.

Cornelia and Will pulled Taranee to a sitting position. The Fire Guardian was rubbing the back of her head where she had hit it on the bathroom floor. Hay Lin stood nearby, watching the trauma in the tub.

After several minutes, Irma finally stopped thrashing about. Tom relaxed his grip on her arms and looked into her face. It was expressionless as ever, her eyes wide and staring. But she was breathing and that was what mattered at the moment.

Will turned her attention to Taranee.

"Are you alright, T?"

"I'm okay," Taranee replied woozily, still rubbing her head.

"What happened?" Cornelia asked forcefully.

"I'm not really sure," Taranee replied. "One minute we were talking, the next...this."

"So you made contact with her?" Hay Lin asked.

Taranee nodded. "Yeah. We talked a little. I think she's lost in her own head, or something. She said she didn't feel safe."

"Well, duh," Cornelia said. "Her powers have been taken away. If she was addicted to them like she said, then of course she's afraid."

"No, that's not it," Taranee said, shaking her head gently. "She said Nerissa was looking for her. Then just before all of this happened, she said 'she found me.' That's when I lost contact."

"So Irma says 'she's found me,' and then has a seizure?" Will said.

Taranee nodded and looked at her leader's brown eyes. "I don't understand any of this. Nerissa is dead. We all saw her die. She can't be torturing Irma in any way, shape, or form."

"Did you feel anyone else in there with Irma?" Hay Lin asked.

"I wasn't really looking for anyone else."

"So what do we do now?" Cornelia's question was directed at Will.

The redhead turned her gaze to the Lair family. Father and Mother were both holding their daughter in their arms. They didn't seem to care that the bathroom was a mess, or that a sopping-wet Irma was making a mess of their clothes. The empty bathtub seemed a metaphor for Will's heart.

She knew they had to help Irma, but she didn't know how. She had been so certain Taranee would be able to reach Irma with the help of the Heart of Kandrakar. That plan had failed miserably, and now Will was reluctant to try anything new.

On the one hand, it would seem something almost supernatural held Irma in it's grip. Irma obviously believed it was Nerissa, no matter what the case actually was. It was also obvious that Irma was powerless to escape on her own; thus the Guardians would have to help. But how?

On the other hand, their interference had caused Irma to seize violently. The effects of prolonged seizing were unknown to Will, but she didn't think they could be any good. She certainly didn't want a repeat of what had just happened, and she suspected the Lair's would not trust her as readily now. But she had to do something. Everyone looked to her to solve all the Guardians' problems. But what could be done?

"Will?" This time Hay Lin nudged her leader.

Will shook herself and regarded her Airy friend.

"What do we do?" the Asian girl asked.

Will turned her gaze to the slightly shaking girl in Tom Lair's arms.

"I have no idea, Hay Lin. No idea, whatsoever."

–

**Thanks, everyone, for reading chapter 2. I hope you'll take a moment and let me know what y'all think. I would like to write the acknowledgments now. You all know that I can't do this stuff without your support, so I thank everyone for reading and especially those that reviewed:**

**Robert Teague: Interesting thoughts about letting the other families know the secret of the Guardians. It might be something I play with...don't really know yet. Thanks for your thoughts and for reading.**

**Lost Prince: The man with a huge problem with the Oracle. LOL. I was kind of hoping he would seem a little more sympathetic after his talk with Will, but I can see you just want to hate the guy. That's okay...it's nice to see a strong reaction to a character. The Oracle certainly wasn't created by me, but my interpretation of him is certainly getting some strong reactions. Thanks for laying it all out. P.S. I would love to know what your mom thinks of WFV...if she wants to read it of course. No pressure and don't feel obligated. Give her a hug for me.**

**Cartoonloverfan101: Hey (winks). Hehe...thanks for reading and for leaving your thoughts. I'm glad you liked the intro and "the talk."**

**XV-Dragon: Won't it be fun to see how Elyon reacts to this whole thing? And how, indeed, are we going to hide Gargoyle? That's quite the question, and probably one no one but you and I have actually considered. Thanks for your continued support.**

**Shocklance: I think the Oracle makes sense as well, but the way he went about it seems a bit wrong to me. And I'm glad you liked the idea of ending up in Hollywood. I thought that might be kind of funny. Thanks for your thoughts.**

**Anonymous: Don't know who you are, my friend, but you were kind enough to leave your thoughts; for that, I thank you. I like your vision of Frost on the beach with a lemonade. Wonder if I can work that in somewhere...hmm.**

**Nightroad: You always have some interesting insights, especially about the Oracle. He is an immortal and, as such, can certainly seem like a jerk at times. He sometimes seems to play people against each other, but then again, he sees more than we do. I think a time of recovery is good for Irma, but perhaps things could have been done differently?**

**Dawntodark: Thank you for leaving your thoughts. I shall try to update frequently. **

**Nemrut: You are not alone is thinking the Oracle did things the wrong way...I am also of that opinion. And I wrote the thing! LOL. Seriously, I dislike the Oracle for the most part. Not because of who he is, but of what he represents. He represents all those who think they are better than everyone else, whether it be because of status, money, college education, etc. I have experience with people looking down on me because they have more money, or education, or something. We all should just look past all that crap and realize everyone is human and needs to be loved. That is the Oracle's mistake...let's see what happens.**

**Toolazytomakeanaccount: I also think it will be interesting to see what the KOV can do without Nerissa. Only time will tell. Thanks for leaving your thoughts.**

**Philip Gipson: Will went in looking for a fight, but I like that they were able to just talk. The solution isn't perfect, and they still have a long way to go, but maybe Guardian and Oracle have a new understanding...and maybe not. Thanks for your continued support.**

**Darev: Thank you so much for sticking with me. I value your reviews because you tell me what's working and what's not. As for why Irma sent the KOV to Earth...great question. You already answered it a little, yourself: she wasn't thinking. Also, being inexperienced at folding, and anything having to do with a Heart in general, it's pretty natural that she would screw up her first attempt. Recall that Will wasn't perfect at folding at first. Thank you for your inquiry and for your continued support.**

**Wolfgurl211: So you're on the fence about the Oracle. You are not alone. Some folks agree with him, others still dislike him. Thank you for being a support to me.**

**Darkyse: Your review made me smile. Your kind compliments warm my heart, and make me smile for a long time. Thank you so much for your kind words.**

**Quiet Wyatt: You're reading Fanfic on a Friday night? Wow...no worries, I do it, too. Thanks for sticking with me.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Welcome one and all to the Whale Pit. I'm happy you've dropped by, because I have an insanely long chapter for you all. May I please present:**

**Chapter 3**

Raythor, Frost, and Miranda sped towards Heatherfield in a hijacked Winnebago. The terrified driver maintained a steady course while Frost kept a watchful eye in the passenger seat. The driver had no idea what was happening, and his wildest nightmares couldn't have prepared him for being hijacked by three aliens. For he knew the strange trio couldn't be from his world...they were too freaky. Only the young girl looked normal, perhaps no more than twelve or thirteen years old; but there was enough malice in her cold, green eyes to send a shiver down his spine.

It had been this little girl that had caused Doug Marten to stop in the first place. She had been lying in the middle of the road as though injured. Doug had barely slammed on his brakes in time to avoid running her over. He realized too late that he had fallen for the oldest trick in the book when the other two weird...things...had ambushed him. At first, Doug had thought the little girl might be a victim like him, but he soon came to realize she was just as cold as the other two.

So far, Doug had not been hurt, just terrified. The alien with the sword had instructed him to drive to a place called Heatherfield and not to ask questions. Doug had seen the danger in the alien's expression and had complied with no hesitation. He thought about Mary, his girlfriend, and Justine, her daughter from a previous marriage. Doug loved the girl like his own, and the thought of never seeing her or her mother again was too horrible to imagine. So he drove on, hoping that Mary had called the police when he had failed to show up for their long-planned weekend getaway. Surely a large motor-home would be easy for the cops to spot and his ordeal would soon be over. These thoughts kept him company with his fears.

Doug wondered what business these three had in Heatherfield and only hoped they weren't looking for more trouble. He knew these hopes were in vain, but he had them, nonetheless. He also hoped the aliens would release him when they arrived at their destination. If he cooperated, perhaps this would help his case. He wasn't going to tell anyone...after all, who would believe him? For while this was certainly an alien abduction, who would believe they came to "borrow" a Winnebago to get to a city all the way across the country? Why couldn't they just teleport there from their spaceship?

Doug sighed inwardly and kept driving. Whatever business these things had in Heatherfield, he could only hope his death wasn't to be a part of it.

–

Irma floated in a sea of darkness.

She shivered against a cold so impossible, it shouldn't have existed. She hugged herself and rubbed her arms against the frigid chill. She was alone and terrified.

She was lost. Why had her friends abandoned her? She had heard Taranee's voice, but had been unable to respond. It was like a dream. Irma could hear everything, but was powerless to interact. A dream...

No...a nightmare.

Nerissa was here, tormenting the girl with every breath. Irma could hear her evil laughter, her scorching taunts, her dripping threats. She knew it was just a matter of time before Nerissa found her again, and she was out of ideas, out of hiding spots, out of strength.

And out of time.

Irma heard the laughter again, peeling through her mind like an ill-tuned bell. She cried out and covered her ears, tears beginning to stream down her cheeks. She was scared, and she could no longer fight the terror that gripped her entire being.

Irma curled into a ball and shook violently. The laughter was coming closer, and she knew Nerissa would have her very soon. She would never be free of the evil woman...never.

"Taranee," the teenager called aloud, "where are you?"

–

The Silver Dragon was unusually quiet for a Saturday afternoon. It was only 4:30, and Hay Lin and her friends were the only ones in the restaurant. Everyone seemed morose and melancholy, and none of them had touched their food. Hay Lin was pretty sure she knew why. Still, the silence and pall was killing her.

"Guys, come on," she said. "We have to talk about this. What are we going to do to help Irma?"

Only Taranee looked up and met Hay Lin's gaze. She didn't need to be a telepath to know that Irma's condition was hurting Hay Lin the most. Aside from Irma's immediate family, Hay Lin meant the most to her, and Taranee knew their inability to reach the Water girl had deeply affected the smallest Guardian. Usually happy and go-lucky, Hay Lin had been reserved and depressed for a week, and her strain was starting to take a toll on the other girls. They fed off Hay Lin's infectious optimism as much as they fed off Irma's biting humor.

"I tried, Hay Lin," Taranee finally said. "But after that seizure, I just couldn't reach her anymore."

"Frankly, I'm surprised the Lair's allowed us to try again," Cornelia said, still gazing at her soup.

"They want Irma back as much as we do," Taranee responded. "They know what happened wasn't our fault."

"But what _did_ happen?" Hay Lin asked. ""What was that?"

Taranee shook her head. "Like I said before, Irma said Nerissa was in there with her and that she was hiding from her. At the end, she seemed to think Nerissa had found her and she went deep into her mind. Not even I can reach that far into Irma's head. She's not coming out unless she wants to."

"What are the chances part of Nerissa survived and imbedded herself in Irma's brain?" Cornelia asked. "I mean, come on, is that even possible?"

"She invaded our dreams, so who knows what she can really do?" Hay Lin responded.

"We're not talking about a dream, Hay Lin," Cornelia said, looking up. "We're talking about full-on mind invasion. Can Nerissa do that? I mean, I've never known a Guardian that could really do that, except maybe Taranee. Last I checked, Uber-Bitch wasn't a Fire Guardian; she was a Keeper, and Will can't do these mind things. Where is she getting this power?"

"The Mage could do lots of stuff, Cornelia," Taranee said. "Lots of stuff none of us could do. We know Nerissa impersonated her, so she could have gotten power from anywhere; but that's not really important. What is important is finding a way to help Irma."

"And how do we do that?" Cornelia said, crossing her arms. "You said you can't even reach her. What's our next move? Superimpose ourselves into Irma's head and fight mega-evil in that warped mind of hers?"

"Cornelia!"

"Hay Lin, I'm just saying what everyone is thinking. Even if we could go in there, who knows what we would find? Nerissa's dream world was freaky enough, and I really don't want to repeat an experience like that."

"And what if that's the only way to help Irma? Would you be too freaked out to help your friend?"

"Hay Lin, that's not what I meant. You know I would never...of course I would help."

"Guys, we can't start fighting amongst ourselves," Taranee said before tempers flared. "We have to focus, now."

Hay Lin continued to glare at Cornelia, but agreed Taranee was right. "So what do we do?"

Taranee let out a breath and sat back in her chair. "I don't know. I'm certain if I could just reach her, I could convince her that everything is alright."

"Did you feel any other presence in her mind?" Cornelia asked.

"That's just it...I didn't. There was no one in there; just Irma."

"Could someone be buried really deep in her mind? So deep you wouldn't be able to feel them?" Cornelia asked.

"I doubt it. Irma may be screwed up, but there are no other presences in there."

Hay Lin growled under her breath.

"That's not what I meant, Hay Lin," Taranee said, holding up a placating hand. "Irma has a lot of head issues right now; even you can't deny that. It makes her a mind a jumbled mess. It's hard to navigate through so much...pain."

Hay Lin swallowed and looked at her Chow Mein.

"Nice one, there, Taranee," Cornelia mumbled.

"I'm just telling it how it is. Trying to pull the wool over anyone's eyes at this point is just perpetuating a lie. Irma has a lot of pain and fear in her head. We need to get through all of that if we're going to help her."

"But how do we _do that_?" Hay Lin asked desperately.

"I don't know, but there has to be-"

"Elyon."

The name came so softly, that Taranee wasn't sure she had heard it. She stopped in mid-sentence and joined her friends in looking at Will.

"What did you say, Will?"

"Elyon," the redhead repeated quietly. "We need Elyon."

Three friends became very quiet and stared at their leader.

"Go on," Taranee finally prompted.

"If one Heart isn't enough, then maybe we need two. Maybe Elyon even knows a way to get us into Irma's head. I don't know, but I think we need her."

Cornelia, Taranee, and Hay Lin looked at each other, all eyes asking the same question. Could it really be that simple?

"Look," Will continued, "we know the heart of Meridian has just as much power, if not more, than the Heart of Kandrakar. It was Elyon who really defeated Phobos in the end, wasn't it? I really think she could help, and I know she would want to."

"Well then, let's go get her," Cornelia said.

Will shook her head. "Taranee, can't you just contact her telepathically? I want her here as soon as possible."

Taranee looked thoughtful. "I think it works with Elyon. Let me try."

The mocha-skinned girl closed her eyes and reached out with her mind.

_Elyon, can you hear me?_

A few seconds passed as Taranee waited for a response.

_Taranee, is that you?_

_Yeah, Elyon, it's me. We need you. Can you come to the Silver Dragon?_

_Now?_

_The sooner the better. _

_I'm on my way. What's going on?_

_We'll fill you in when you get here, but the short version is we need your help to wake up Irma._

_Wake her up?_

_Yeah. She's been in a coma since her powers were taken away._

_Oh, I could kill me one Oracle right now. How about I stop off and bring his head with me?_

_Pretty sure Kandrakar would frown on that, but if it floats your boat..._

_I'll be there in fifteen minutes, Taranee._

_Thanks, Elyon._

Taranee cut the mental link and looked at Will.

"She's coming. She'll be here in fifteen."

Will nodded and returned to looking at her food.

_What is it, Will?_

Will was accustomed to Taranee breaking into her thoughts, and she wasn't surprised her fiery friend had chosen now to do so.

_I just feel like such a failure, T. I was so certain we could reach Irma, and now I wonder if we'll ever be able to bring her back._

_Go on._

_You know she's never going to be the same, don't you? It's too much for someone to handle. Even if we get her back, we'll never get her back._

_Will, don't say that._

_We have to face the truth, T. Irma's never coming back; not the way we know her, anyway. And because of that, Hay Lin may never recover, either._

_Hay Lin is resilient; she'll bounce back._

_What if she doesn't? What if none of us do? This whole thing has changed all of us. The entire dynamic of this team has been thrown off, now. We don't have a Water Guardian, and the Air Guardian is so depressed we may as well not have her, either. If Irma doesn't come back from this, I doubt Hay Lin will ever be the same._

_Will, you can't think like that. You're the leader of the Guardians; you have to put on a confident face. We're all hurting, we're all worried, but you have to show strength._

_I know, T; but I don't feel very strong right now. What if this doesn't work? What if it does? Either way, I think we're looking at something really frightening._

_Have faith in Elyon and in Irma. Elyon can help us get to Irma, and we can drag her out of this, kicking and screaming if needs be. _

_It's the screaming part I'm worried about, Taranee._

_If we can get Irma out of herself, she'll see there's nothing to be afraid of. Nerissa is gone. There's no way she could have left some of herself behind in Irma's head. No way._

_You don't know that, T._

_I do know that, Will. I did not feel any other presence in Irma's head; and a presence as strong and familiar as Nerissa would have shown like a beacon._

_So, what, she's hallucinating?_

_I don't know, Will, but whatever's going on it has her frightened. Just another reason we need to get in there and help her._

_Then this had better work, because I'm out of ideas._

_It will work. I have confidence in Elyon...and in you._

At that moment, the door of the Silver Dragon opened and Elyon walked in. She was wearing jeans and a T-shirt, and looked every bit a normal teenage girl. She walked quickly to the table and sat down next to Cornelia.

"Tell me everything," Elyon said, not stopping for pleasantries. "What's happened?"

Cornelia took the opportunity to fill Elyon in on the past week, culminating with Taranee's attempts to contact Irma telepathically.

"After the seizure, Will and Taranee tried again, but weren't able to reach Irma. That's when we called it quits for the day and came here."

Elyon looked angry and horrified. "The Oracle has to give Irma her powers back; that's the solution. We need to gang up on him and force him into it, if needs be."

Will shook her head. "That's not going to work. I already tried that, and he...explained...some things to me."

Will then launched into an explanation of her conversation with the Oracle that morning. She left out only the part where he had said that Irma could receive her powers back when she could learn to forgive.

After a time, Will finished relating the conversation and fell silent. Guardians and Queen sat with mouths agape, until finally...

"What a load of crap!" The explosion came from Cornelia. "He expects us to accept that Irma was dangerous, so taking her powers was a good idea?"

"That's what he said," Will answered.

"Oh, he's in for it now," Cornelia said, clenching her fists. "Just let me get my hands on him and I'll show him dangerous."

"Cornelia, calm down."

"I will not calm down, Elyon. This guy has gotten on my last nerve."

"Maybe...but he has a point," Elyon said, placing her hand on Cornelia's shoulder. "Hay Lin, is Irma a danger to herself?"

Hay Lin swallowed. She didn't want to reveal her innermost fears for Irma, but she wasn't about to lie, either.

"Yes," she responded.

"Then having such awesome powers would make her even more dangerous. I can see the Oracle's point, but I still don't like it."

"You won't convince me he's the good guy, El."

"I'm not trying to, Cornelia. I'm just trying to see both sides. But that's neither here nor there at the moment. We have to find a way to help Irma, and arguing about the Oracle won't do that."

Cornelia harrumphed but decided Elyon was right. "So what do we do?"

"We combine the powers of both Hearts and see if Taranee can reach Irma again," Will said.

"Will, the last time we did that Irma nearly drowned while having a seizure," Cornelia said.

"I know, but we have to try. I really think Taranee is the key to this."

"Taranee or Hay Lin," Elyon said.

"Hay Lin?" Taranee echoed.

"Think about it," Elyon said. "She was able to enter Irma's mind while she was...while she was with Nerissa. Can we duplicate that?"

Will was thoughtful. "I'm not even sure how we did it the first time. I think Irma was using Nerissa's mind powers to help, though none of us really know how she did it. Nevertheless, entering Irma's head would be ideal."

"How do you wanna play it?" Elyon asked, deferring to Will.

"I think we should try to get Taranee to contact Irma first. That's the least invasive thing we could do, and we already know how to do it."

Elyon nodded. "Then what are we waiting for?"

–

Fifteen minutes later, four Guardians and the Queen of Meridian stood outside the Lair house. Hay Lin knocked on the door then stood back and waited for a response.

Anna opened the door after a few seconds, and was a little taken aback by the small army on her doorstep. She waited for one of the girls to speak.

"Hi, Mrs. Lair," Hay Lin said quietly. "We're here to see Irma...again. Can we come in?"

Anna hesitated. The last time Irma's friends had come around, they had caused her daughter to seize uncontrollably. No, that wasn't fair. Irma's friends had not caused the seizure; at least, not intentionally.

"Come in," Anna said finally, standing away from the door.

The teenagers trooped inside and waited politely in the living room. Anna closed the door and turned to face them.

"Irma's upstairs in her room."

Will nodded and thanked Anna. The girls trooped upstairs followed by Mrs. Lair. When they entered Irma's room, they saw Tom Lair sitting next to her bedside, holding her hand, his head bowed.

"Tom," Anna said, "Irma's friends are back."

The big Sergeant turned to face the group. They could see his eyes were red and slightly puffy.

"Come to try again, have you?" he said gruffly.

Will stepped forward. "If it's okay, we'd like to try again, yes."

"And what makes you think this time will be any different?"

"We've brought reinforcements," Will responded.

Tom looked closer at the group and narrowed his eyes. "Elyon Brown?"

Will nodded. "She's the Queen of Meridian. It's on a different planet. She has the Heart of Meridian. It's just as powerful as the Heart of Kandrakar, if not more so. We think we can reach Irma with the combined power of the two Hearts."

Tom wasn't surprised by anything anymore. So when he heard the words "different planet," he wasn't even fazed. Elyon, on the other hand, dropped her jaw.

"They know?"

Will nodded. "Irma told them just before the duel with Nerissa."

Elyon swallowed, but nodded. "Okay, that makes things interesting."

"Please, Mr. Lair, will you allow us to try again?" Cornelia asked.

Tom fixed the Earth Guardian with a stern gaze. His daughter lay on the bed, trembling slightly, but otherwise just as still as she had been for the last week. He wasn't sure what frightened him more; the rigidity of the catatonia, or the violence of the seizures. One thing he did know, however, was that conventional medicine wasn't going to help his daughter. The five girls in the room had a greater knowledge of the situation, and he would be a fool not to use that knowledge to help Irma.

But Tom Lair was also a cautious man.

"What guarantee can you give me that she won't have another seizure?"

Will stepped forward. "We can't, Mr. Lair, but we have to try to reach her."

Tom shook his head. "I don't understand any of this. What's happened to my daughter?"

Taranee looked sadly at the big policeman. "She took a pretty big hit from Nerissa, Mr Lair. She's not going to recover from that by herself. We think this condition may be a residual effect of Post Traumatic Stress. She believes Nerissa is in her mind, trying to find her and hurt her again. If we can convince her she's safe, then she'll wake up."

Tom turned his steely gaze to the Fire Guardian. "I've seen a lot of PTSD, young lady, and I know my Irma exhibits all the signs. She's going to require professional help. Would like to tell me how, exactly, I'm going to explain to a shrink that my daughter was tortured by a sorceress from another planet and now suffers from a crippling mental condition?"

Taranee knew she was seeing weeks of frustration on the Sergeant's face. As a father and a policeman, he was programmed to protect, and Taranee knew his failure to protect his daughter was weighing heavily on him. She wanted nothing more than to take his hand and assure him everything would be okay, but the truth was, Taranee didn't truly believe that, herself. Secretly, she agreed with Will's earlier assessment that they would never get Irma back. Not that she would ever share those thoughts...

Mr. Lair was still staring at her as though he expected wisdom from a fourteen year-old girl, but the truth was she had none to give. Taranee had always known the answers to hard questions; indeed, problem-solving was her specialty. But for the first time in her life, she had no answers and no comfort to give. She felt helpless and useless. But she had to say something, so she swallowed and began to speak.

"Mr. Lair, I don't know how to answer that question. But I do know if we don't bring Irma out of this coma, then those answers aren't going to matter, anyway."

Tom continued to stare at the young Guardian for a moment. She had a point, and taking his frustrations out on a child was the wrong thing to do. So he stood up and backed away from the bed to allow the girls more room and access to his daughter.

Taranee smiled and mouthed a silent "thank you," before motioning her friends forward. The girls moved to stand beside Irma, and Hay Lin gently took the rigid girl's hand.

"Okay, here goes nothing," Will said as she pulled the Heart of Kandrakar from around her neck. Nodding to Elyon, Will held the Heart tightly in her fist. Elyon placed her hands over the jewel around her own neck and held it tightly. Together, Keeper and Queen directed the powers of the Hearts at Taranee, hoping to boost her telepathic powers enough to reach Irma.

Taranee gasped as raw power flowed through her being. Without hesitation, she took Irma's face in her hands and stared deeply into her blue eyes. Those eyes seemed to widen as Taranee's gaze penetrated Irma's mind and began to search for a terrified, lost, girl.

–

Irma shook violently as the laughter rang out closer and closer. She cried out and curled tighter, a vain attempt to protect herself from her nemesis.

"Hay Lin," Irma whimpered, "please help me."

She screamed as a flash of lighting pierced the darkness. This was it, Nerissa was here. She was ready to torture her anew, never granting her the release of death.

"Will, where are you?" Irma screamed aloud. When no answer came, the frightened girl began to run. Run through her own mind. The irony of this was lost in the girl's terror, and she delved deeper into her own insanity.

–

On the bed, Irma began to squirm and moan. Her heart raced and her breathing became labored. Hay Lin turned frightened eyes to Will, who was still concentrating on pouring the Heart's power into Taranee. Elyon was equally oblivious.

Cornelia, however, seeing Hay Lin's distress, stepped forward and placed a comforting hand on the girl's shoulder. She squeezed it gently and winked at her friend. Hay Lin derived a small amount of comfort from the blonde Guardian's presence.

–

Taranee moved through Irma's pain-riddled mind. It was so thick with terror that the mocha-skinned girl had difficulty navigating. But she had to find Irma. She could feel the girl's distress as palpable as anything she had ever felt.

The Fire Guardian clawed her way through the jumbled mind, not bothering to be gentle or careful. She thought she might be causing Irma some undue stress, but finding the terrified girl was paramount at the moment. Taranee was aware of the extra stress in Irma's mind as she pawed through memories and private moments. Thoughts came in a jumbled mess, most of them centered on her family, friends, and...

Nerissa.

The majority of the memories Taranee encountered were centered on Nerissa. Taranee saw the terrible tortures inflicted by the evil woman and her henchmen. She experienced Irma's pain as the lash tore skin from bone, as the knife cleaved bloody trails, and the lightning seared tender flesh. Taranee gritted her teeth against the raw agony, and nearly tore her mind away...anything to avoid the pain she was sharing.

But concern for her friend won out, and the young Guardian persevered.

If Irma truly dwelt this much on her pain and terrible memories, Taranee wondered how she had continued to function as well as she had. Some people would argue that Irma didn't really function at all, but Taranee knew better. She knew her friend was strong, and had endured everything asked of her, and more. Somehow, they would get Irma through this...they had to.

Taranee pressed on through her own growing pain. White-hot knives stabbed through the Guardian's mind as she fought her way through Irma's own conflicted head. She had delved deeper than she ever had before, and she knew she was hurting her friend by not bothering to move carefully. But Taranee thought they might be losing Irma, so being careful was far from the young Guardian's mind.

"Irma," Taranee called aloud, "can you hear me?"

–

In the waking world, Irma had begun to squirm violently, and to moan even louder. Tom was afraid and encouraged at the same time. On the one hand, he sensed and saw his daughter's discomfort, and this did not sit well with him at all. On the other hand, Irma was moving without seizing and making sounds for the first time in a week. This encouraged the big policeman, and he wasn't sure whether to hope or worry.

As Irma's moans grew more distressed, and her movements more jerky, Tom's worry superseded his encouragement. He moved quickly to Irma's bedside and placed strong hands on his daughter's arms. He hoped to hold her down and to prevent her from rolling off the bed or otherwise hurting herself.

His gaze turned to his wife. Anna stood by the door, her hand covering her mouth, silent tears rolling down her cheeks. Her eyes locked with Tom's and both of them knew they were thinking the same thing.

_What have we done?_

–

Taranee had reached a calm in the vortex of pain. Here, there was no light, and no sound. She must have reached the only calm spot left in Irma's mind. Taranee stopped and looked around, but could see nothing.

"Irma!" Taranee called, but no sound came out. Taranee was taken aback by this. Never before had she encountered a totally silent part of the mind. She only hoped it was not indicative of some kind of brain damage.

Taranee reached out with her mind even further. She delved deeper and deeper frantically searching for her friend.

Then she felt it.

"Irma!"

She had felt her friend's consciousness and immediately dove in that direction.

"Irma!" Taranee called. "Irma, answer me!"

–

Irma's back arched painfully and she cried out loudly. Anna screamed and raced for the bed. Cornelia grabbed the woman, impeding her progress.

"No," she said, "don't break it up now. It's progress. Taranee is reaching her."

"No, she's killing her!" Anna screamed, fighting to free herself.

"She's not killing her, Mrs. Lair. Trust us...trust Taranee."

"Anna, it's okay. Let them do what needs to be done," Tom called.

Anna sank to the ground next to her daughter's bed and took her other hand.

"My baby," she whimpered. "My baby."

–

Irma was struck by the lightning. She screamed as she heard the cruel laughter behind the bolts. It was over; Irma knew she was trapped by Nerissa again. She also knew her friends would not be coming for her this time. No matter how loudly she called, they would not come.

Then she heard it...she heard her name being called.

It was faint, as though heard through a tunnel, but it was there...Irma was sure of it. She dared to hope, and screamed back.

"I'm here!"

"Irma, I'm coming. Hang on!"

But Irma couldn't hang on. The vicious lightning struck again, and drove the girl to her knees. She screamed in pain. Then, suddenly, Frost was there. He swung a huge hammer, and pulverized both of Irma's knees. The young girl screamed again.

Taranee heard the screams and moved faster. She had to get to Irma.

When she finally arrived, she saw her friend writhing on the ground from something only she could see. As shocked as Taranee was to see the personification of Irma in her own head, she was even more shocked to see her behavior. Taranee had seen this sort of writhing from her friend before...it had happened when Will had accidentally struck her with lightning.

Taranee hurried forward and struggled to assist the distressed girl.

"Irma, I'm here. It's Taranee."

"Taranee," Irma moaned. "I can't see you. Where are you?"

"I'm right next to you. I've come to lead you out of this...pit."

Irma looked around for her friend, but saw nothing.

"It's another cruel trick, Nerissa," Irma said quietly. "But how can you be here? I killed you."

Then Taranee realized she wasn't projecting herself to Irma the way Irma was projecting herself to Taranee. How could she remedy this? She had to convince Irma that Nerissa wasn't there.

Then it struck her. This was Irma's mind. Perhaps Taranee could manipulate it to show Irma anything she wanted. It would be a violation of everything Taranee had promised she would never do, but would it be worth it?

Taranee thought quickly as she sensed despair in her friend. Finally she made a decision she hoped she wouldn't regret.

Concentrating as hard as she had ever concentrated, Taranee forced her mind into overload. She thought about projecting an image of herself into Irma's mind, and finally succeeded in doing so. She knew this, because Irma finally acknowledged her presence.

"Taranee!"

"I'm here, Irma."

"I can see you. I can see you."

"Then follow me and let's go home."

"I can't move, Taranee. My knees are broken."

"How did that happen?"

"It was Frost...he was here. He broke them with a hammer."

Taranee was confused. How was that even possible? It had to be a phantom of some sort.

"Irma, you're hallucinating. No one is here but us. I would know...I'm a telepath, remember?"

Irma got very quiet then. Could this whole encounter have been a massive hallucination? If so, then how had it happened?

She tested her right knee, then her left. They seemed to be working fine. What was happening?

"Taranee, what's happening to me?"

Taranee reached out and pulled her friend to her feet. She grabbed her in a hug.

"I don't know, Irma, but we'll fight it together."

Irma broke down, then, and began to cry. What was happening to her mind if she could create such a wicked illusion? She knew..._knew_...Nerissa was there, and so was Frost. Taranee had driven them off somehow. Or had she? Was this just another of Nerissa's tricks?

Irma suddenly moved back from Taranee.

"Stay away from me, you evil hag. You won't draw me in now."

"Irma, what are you doing?"

"I killed you once, bitch, and I'll do it again!"

With that, Irma launched herself at Taranee. She grabbed the Fire Guardian around the throat and knocked her to the ground. She began to squeeze.

"Irma," Taranee gasped. "Irma, stop."

"Tell me something only Taranee would know, you bitch! Tell me now or I'll kill you right here!"

Taranee wracked her brain for something, but she was starting to black out. She knew she should disconnect herself from Irma's mind, but if she truly believed she was under attack, she could die before Taranee could reach her again.

As darkness began to descend, Taranee knew she was about to die. She tried desperately to throw Irma off, but this was Irma's head...she could do whatever she wanted. The only thing that would save her now would be to answer Irma's demand. But what did Taranee know that Nerissa wouldn't?

Then it hit her.

"Your...your...childhood nickname...is...Droopy Pants."

Immediately the rage that had taken hold of Irma turned to wonder. How could Nerissa possibly know that? The only ones that knew that were her closest friends.

Including Taranee.

Irma stopped the assault and looked in horror at the sputtering girl beneath her.

"Taranee...is it really you?"

Taranee couldn't answer due to the coughing fit that had taken hold, but she nodded vigorously.

"Oh, what have I done?" Irma wailed.

Taranee shook her head and struggled to recover her voice.

"It's no big," she gasped, still coughing. "It's okay."

Irma sat down and covered her face with her hands.

"I thought you were Nerissa," she said quietly. "I thought you were going to hurt me again."

"I know," Taranee whispered. The Fire Guardian rose to her knees and reached out tentative hands. She pulled Irma's hands away from her face and looked deeply into her eyes.

"Come with me," she said as Irma looked fearfully back. "I'll take you home."

Irma screwed up her face and fought back tears. "Taranee, I'm afraid."

"I'm right here, Irma. There's nothing to be afraid of. Nerissa is dead, and you banished the KOV, so Frost is gone, too. No one's ever going to hurt you again."

Irma looked back into Taranee's brown eyes and saw determination and compassion. She wanted so badly to believe this was Taranee and that her friend was telling the truth.

"Do you promise?"

Taranee cupped Irma's cheek. "I promise."

–

Cornelia watched Irma's form slowly relax. The thrashing and the screaming of the last few minutes had ceased. Irma looked downright peaceful. Her eyes were closed and her breathing had returned to normal.

Taranee, on the other hand, looked distressed and tired. She held Irma's face in a vice-like grip, hard enough to leave what Cornelia felt would be finger bruises. She had seen similar bruises suddenly appear on Taranee's neck and throat, and she worried for both girls even more.

For a while, things had turned rather violent, as both girls had suddenly cried out, and Taranee had begun to gasp and sputter. Cornelia had been moving to break Taranee's grip on Irma, but thought better of it. There was obviously a battle being fought for Irma, and Cornelia trusted Taranee to win it. Her own interference might spell disaster for one or both of them.

Cornelia was relieved by Irma's changes, but distressed by Taranee's. She worried both girls might be trapped in Irma's mind forever, and she wanted to do something. But what could she do?

In the end, she decided to do nothing. She had to trust in Taranee.

Then, as suddenly as she had lapsed in catatonia, Irma awoke. Her eyes fluttered open and she began to look around. At the same moment, Taranee broke her grip on Irma's head and collapsed, moaning, to the floor. The power of the Hearts died, and Will and Elyon looked around.

"Taranee!" Will spotted her friend first and knelt beside her.

"Taranee, speak to me. Tell me you're alright," Will pleaded.

Taranee's eyes fluttered open and she flashed a weak thumbs-up.

Elyon, seeing that Taranee was okay, turned her attention to Irma. She was holding her head and moaning softly, but she was awake. Her father and mother had shouldered Hay Lin out of the way to hold their daughter.

"Irma, baby," Anna said carefully, "are you alright?"

"Wicked...headache..." Irma whispered.

Anna and Tom laughed in relief and held their daughter tighter.

Hay Lin and Cornelia gathered around Taranee, anxious to see if their friend was okay.

"I'm...alright," Taranee gasped. "A little...tired."

Will suddenly noticed the finger bruises on her friend's neck.

"What happened in there?"

"Irma...attacked...me. Thought...thought I was...Nerissa."

"Nerissa is dead," Cornelia observed unnecessarily.

"Hallucination," Taranee moaned. "Irma thought...Nerissa and Frost..."

With that, Taranee lost consciousness. Will looked worriedly at her friends.

"She's okay, Will," Elyon said. "I think she's just exhausted."

"We can't return her home like this," Will said.

"I'll call and tell her parents we're sleeping over with Irma," Hay Lin said quickly. "She can recover here."

Will nodded gratefully. "How is Irma?"

"She has a bad headache, but she's awake," Hay Lin said, glancing wistfully in the direction of the relieved family.

Cornelia, seeing this glance, decided to interrupt the reunion. She moved quickly to Irma's bedside.

"How is she?"

"She has a migraine, but she seems none the worse for wear," Anna replied.

"Oh, my mother gets those every now and then," Cornelia said. "We should give her lots of silence. Which, come to think of it, is not something Irma is good at."

"Corny," Irma moaned, "you...suck."

Cornelia smiled and ruffled her friend's hair. "So do you, squirt. And don't call me Corny."

Tom let go of his daughter and turned to survey the group of girls who had saved her life.

"I don't know how to ever thank you girls," he said. "You've saved my daughter, and I can never-"

He stopped short when he saw Taranee's unconscious form.

"We need to get her to the hospital!" Tom said, moving quickly to scoop up Taranee.

Will stood up immediately. "No. They'll ask too many questions."

"But she needs help," Tom protested.

"She'll be fine; she's just exhausted," Will explained. "It may take her a few days to recover, but I promise you, she'll be fine."

"Then I'll take her home," Tom said, helpfully.

"No can do on that, either," Will said. "Her parents won't understand. She'll need to stay here, if that's okay."

"After what she did for Irma, of course it's okay. She can rest in the guest bedroom."

Tom left the room, then, to carry Taranee to the guest room. The girls gathered around Irma's bed and gazed at their friend.

"How you doin', Irma?" Elyon asked.

"I feel...like a truck...hit me."

"It's good to see you awake, Irma," Will said. "You've had us pretty worried."

"Sorry...about...that."

Irma tried to sit up, but was blocked by her mother.

"Just stay down for a while, sweetheart. You've been through a lot."

"Taranee," Irma whispered. "How's...Taranee?"

"She's resting," Hay Lin said. "She'll be fine."

"I...I attacked...her."

The friends looked at each other. Finally, Cornelia voiced what they were all thinking.

"Why did you do that?"

"Thought she was...Nerissa."

"Nerissa is dead, shrimp."

Hay Lin shot Cornelia a glare, but said nothing.

Irma nodded slowly. "I know. Taranee...said...same thing. Thought...thought..."

Then Irma passed out. Hay Lin's face was a make of distress, and Anna thought it best to comfort the girl.

"Hay Lin, would you like to stay here tonight?"

Hay Lin looked gratefully at Mrs. Lair. "I would, yes, very much. May I please?"

"Of course," Anna answered. "Run home and pack your things."

Hay Lin didn't need to be told twice. She bolted out of the room, and soon her feet could be heard pounding the sidewalk outside.

"I should get home," Cornelia said. "It's almost 9:00 and my parents will have a canary if I break curfew."

"Since when has that ever mattered to you, Cornelia Hale?" Elyon grinned.

"Just because you're the Queen of Meridian doesn't mean you can harsh my mellow," Cornelia sniffed.

Elyon grinned and turned to Will. "Your mom is probably having a fit right now. You'd better go. I'll stay here until Hay Lin gets back."

Will nodded. "Yeah, I'm probably in for it at home."

Will and Cornelia departed, while Elyon stayed behind.

Hay Lin returned twenty minutes later and set up camp in Irma's bedroom. After saying goodbye to Elyon, Hay Lin settled into her sleeping bag. She gazed at the sleeping girl in the bed, and for the first time in a week she had hope for her friend. Hay Lin knew her dreams would finally be pleasant tonight.

Across the street, hidden in the bushes, Miranda grinned.

–

**Phew, what a long chapter. Hope you enjoyed it. Please tell me what you think. And now, for the acknowledgments.**

**XV-Dragon: Dude, you always get the first review. Nice. Bringing in Halinor is something I thought of, but I decided to go in a different direction. Thanks for thinking, though. **

**Laserleg: I am a fan of Harry Potter, too. Probably my favorite book series. I didn't want to cheapen it by doing the whole soul thing, but you are a thinking woman. I love it.**

**Wolfgurl211: Thank you for loving my story. It makes me feel good to know someone loves it...and hopefully loves me. Hehe...thanks for reading.**

**Lost Prince: Or shall I say DOCTOR Lost Prince? Congrats on becoming a full-fledged MD. And yes, I know I'm evil. You're not the first person to tell me so...hmm, I wonder what that says about me. Oh well, can't win 'em all. And yes, you are correct, Irma was put under a diabolical spell in WPV. The question is, does it still linger even after Nerissa's death? Guess we'll have to find out. And thank you for hating the Oracle. LOL. He does ask for it, doesn't he? Give your mom a hug for me...sneak up on her again. That's funny.**

**Toolazytomakeanaccount: Thank you for reading my crap, er, stories. I also thank you for taking the time to review and telling what you think. Thank you for your support.**

**Philip Gipson: You are not imagining things. Irma is part of the problem. She's a little messed up, see. But now she's all better, right? Why are you looking at me like that?**

**Cartoonloverfan101: Wow, thank you for calling me sexy. LOL. You're not so bad, yourself. And thank you for continuing to support me and my stories.**

**DayDreamer9: THANK YOU for calling me cool! And thank you for sticking with the story. Chris...Hmm, he's kinda the forgotten person in this story. Not sure yet what I'll do with him. And we'll see about the good ol' KOV soon...I promise.**

**Darkyse: Irma is awake. YAY!! Thank you for your kind words, Darkyse. I have appreciated them very much. Thanks for reading, my friend.**

**Nightroad: The Oracle is a little hypocritical and he does like to justify. Again, you make some good, sound arguments. You have quite the moral compass, and I like that. It should make us all think a little. Thank you for your words and your time.**

**Nemrut: Give Tom time. He may want to meet the Oracle in the future...and maybe not. He seems like a logical, sound-minded individual to me. Thanks for reading and letting me know what you think.**

**Darev: I saw "The Cell;" it was one weird show. It would be an invasion of privacy at the highest level, you're right. I'm interested to know what you think of Taranee's choice in this chapter.**

**Quiet Wyatt: Hello again. Thanks for reading and leaving a review. Nerissa is gone...or is she? You are not alone in thinking that witch left something behind in Irma. Guess we'll just have to wait and see.**

**Nerd4eva: Awesome review. Hehe...I agree, some words are just perfect for whatever you need to say. Why stop using them? Anyway, thanks for sticking with the story and for taking time to leave your kind thoughts.**

**XheartkreuzX: Welcome to the Whale Pit, my friend. I'm glad to see a new face. I appreciate you taking the time to read all three parts of the saga, and for letting me know how you feel.**

**Starwin: My friend, I love to see your reviews. They tell me what's not working and what is. Thank you for always commenting on the grammar...it bugs me, too, when a story is impossible to read due to bad grammar. And let's hope Mr. Lair doesn't become the Water Guardian...that man in tights and wings is just too much. Keep the reviews coming...they're making me a better writer. Thank you again from the bottom of my heart.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Well hello there. Thanks for sticking with the story in spite of a terribly long delay in updates. You know how real life gets in the way? Well that's what happened to me. But hopefully things are better now, and I promise I am still alive. But enough about me. Let's get on with it, shall we? May I present:**

**Chapter 4**

Hay Lin awoke early the next morning and her gaze turned immediately to her best friend. It seemed Irma hadn't even moved during the night, as she slept peacefully on. This wouldn't have worried Hay Lin a bit except that her friend had made a habit out of not moving for the past week. Though she knew she ought to let Irma sleep, the smallest Guardian couldn't help herself.

"Irma?" Hay Lin asked tentatively, rising from the sleeping bag next to her friend's bed. "Irma, you awake?"

Irma breathed steadily, but did not respond.

Hay Lin swallowed and approached the bed. She reached out slowly and touched the slumbering girl's shoulder with a shaking hand.

"Irma?"

The Water Guardian awoke with a start. Wild eyes pinned Hay Lin, and Irma's mouth opened to scream.

But once she saw it was only her dear friend, Irma relaxed immediately. She did not scream.

"Hay Hay, don't do that," she breathed. "You scared the crap out of me."

"Sorry. I just wanted to be sure you hadn't, you know, relapsed or something."

Irma nodded in understanding. "I get it. You were just checking up on me. It's what any good friend would do."

Hay Lin smiled and gently hugged her groggy friend.

"How are you feeling?"

Irma grimaced. "I still have a hugely wicked headache, but I think I'll live. Just try to keep the noise down, okay?"

The Air girl nodded and shifted her voice to a whisper. "It's really good to see you actually awake."

Irma closed her eyes and sighed. "I'm a mess, Hay Lin. A real big, ugly mess. My head just won't shutup."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean I can still hear her, inside my head. I can still feel her disgusting little fingers clawing through my brain. It makes me feel...dirty." Irma shuddered then, and drew in a quick breath.

Hay Lin's eyes turned sad, and her concern for her friend grew even more. She didn't need to ask whom Irma meant.

"I see her everywhere," Irma continued. "In my mind's eye, she's always there. She laughs at me. She taunts me. She threatens me...she threatens you, Hay Hay."

Hay Lin swallowed but remained silent.

"What did I ever do to deserve this, Hay Lin? What did I do to earn Nerissa's wrath?"

Hay Lin gazed at her friend with sympathy.

"Why did this happen to me?"

Hay Lin had been waiting for this. In all her pain, in all her misery, Irma had never once asked, "why me." Now here it was, and Hay Lin had no answers.

"Oh Irma, I don't know why this happened, and I know it's not fair. But you can't give up; you have to go on. You have to keep living."

"I don't want to keep living, Hay Lin. If this is what my life is going to be like, then I want o check out."

"Will should have let me die."

Hay Lin gasped, though she hadn't meant to; but she couldn't help it. She knew her friend was suicidal, but this level of despair and defeat was knew. It was the tone of Irma's voice...defeated and monotone; as if the decision had already been made.

This scared the young Guardian, and she reacted hastily.

"How can you say that?" Hay Lin said, a little too loudly. "What would I do without you?"

"You would get over it and live your life without a wet blanket constantly bringing you down," Irma responded, matter-of-factly.

Hay Lin couldn't help herself. She bared her teeth and struck out at her friend. She balled up her fists and began hitting the Water Guardian. The shoulders, arms, stomach, whatever she could reach.

"Irma Lair, I would _not_ get over it! How can you think you matter so little?"

Irma didn't resist or try to defend herself. She just let the blows fall.

Eventually, the Air Guardian noticed she was beating her best friend, and stopped. She looked at her hands in horror.

"Irma, I'm sorry," she said quietly. "I shouldn't have hit you."

The teenager shrugged. "Doesn't matter, Hay Hay. You can't hurt me anymore than Nerissa and her goons already have. A few more bruises won't matter, now."

Hay Lin had to fight not to add a few more bruises.

"Why are you giving up?" Hay Lin growled angrily. "That's not the Irma I know."

"The Irma you know is gone! She's not coming back, and you need to get that through your head."

"Fine. Let's make a deal, you and me," Hay Lin said, the edge to her voice unmistakable. "I'll get over this new, depressing Irma, if you'll get over the fact that I refuse to get over it. I won't let you give up, and I'm not going to entertain your self-destructive behavior. What Nerissa did to you was awful, unfathomably awful; I can't even imagine or begin to understand what that must be like to live with. But living is what you have to do. You don't get a choice in the matter."

Irma was silent, as she allowed her friend to vent.

"If I have to sit on you and beat this into your thick skull, then I will. I will do whatever it takes to make you see your own self-worth. I will not let Nerissa take away the best thing in my life. Because if that happens...then she will have killed me, too."

Irma swallowed hard. She had been so wrapped up in her pain that she had failed to see what it was doing to her sister. How could she have been so selfish? Yes, Nerissa was awful. Yes, Nerissa had destroyed her spirit. Yes, Nerissa had ruined her life. But Irma could not allow the hag to decimate her best friend. Hay Lin was off limits.

"Hay Lin, I'm sorry. I've been so wrapped up in myself that I didn't see what this was doing to you. I won't mention it again."

Hay Lin sighed and sat down on the floor, her back to the bed. "Irma...you're an idiot."

"Excuse me?"

"I said you're an idiot."

"I heard what you said. I'm just failing to grasp the meaning, here."

"Why would you think I don't want to help you? Because that's what you're implying when you say 'I won't mention it again.' You're trying to shut me out, and it hurts me when you do that. Why won't you let me help help you? Stop with the tough-guy act. Stop with the I-don't-need-anybody's-help routine. You're full of crap if you believe that, and you know it. You need help; and that's why I'm here. So stop trying to shield me; I'm not a child."

"Hay Lin, I never said-"

"Yes, you did. By not letting me in on the darkest moments of your life, you are trying to shield me. I shared in your pain, remember? I felt some of what that hag did to you, and it was so bad, I almost turned away rather than face it. But you didn't have a choice; you had to face it. So I dove in and tried to help in the only way I could; the only way you would let me. And even then, when it got really bad, you threw me away. I don't know how you did it, but you hurled me right back to my own head. You wouldn't let me help you, even then. Well I'm here now, and you can't make me go away."

"Have you forgotten, Hay Lin, that you just beat me with your fists when I mentioned how I don't want to live anymore? Those are the darkest thoughts I have, and you couldn't handle them. Why, in all the nine hells, would I put you through anymore?"

"What I can't handle, Irma, is the fact that you would rather be dead than stand up to that hag who made you this way. The Irma I know is still alive somewhere inside you, and I want her back. I want _you_ back."

Irma opened her mouth to reply, then closed it again. She didn't want to argue with Hay Lin; in fact, she didn't want to argue at all. She had hurt her friend, and she knew it.

"I'm sorry, Hay Lin. I just don't want you in the middle of this. I can see how much it's hurting you, and I don't want you hurt. Nerissa got one of us...but I can see we shouldn't let her get both of us. I do see your point about letting her win, I really do. But you need to understand that this isn't easy for me. It's so hard, in fact, that sometimes I do think dying would be easier."

"Easier, maybe," Hay Lin said. "But not better. Not better for anybody. What would that do to your parents? To Chris? Look at all the people who love you. Why do you want to leave them with nothing but terrible memories of how Nerissa beat you?"

Irma was quiet for a moment. "Because, Hay Lin, it's so hard to handle it all. You don't know what it's like. You _can't_ know what it's like. I can still feel her inside my head; it feels so dirty and strange. And yet at the same time, familiar. It's like she'll always be with me, and no matter what I do, I will never be free of her...not completely. Hay Lin, I was mind-raped by that woman. I don't know how to deal with that. I keep reliving it all over, and over, and over. I can't get my own screams out of my head. I can smell my flesh burning, and it's overpoweringly nauseating. What am I supposed to do? Tell me, please, and I'll do it."

Hay Lin rotated her body so she was facing the bed. Irma had propped herself on one elbow and was looking down at her friend, her blue eyes pleading and desperate. The pain behind those aquamarine pools was so tangible, Hay Lin could feel it. The pall that filled the room was overpowering, and Hay Lin wanted to run away from it. She realized, then, that Irma was allowing her to see the darkest reaches of her heart...and she understood why her friend tried to keep her from it.

But Hay Lin was not about to let her sister down.

"I don't have those kinds of answers, Irma. All I know is you have to find a way to make life worth living. Try to think of happier times when you're alone. Sing to yourself, I don't know. Music always makes me feel better, so maybe you should try it. And I mean _nice_ songs; not that death metal you've been listening to of late."

Irma continued to gaze at her friend, but remained silent.

"You have to find something worth living for...and it can't be me," Hay Lin said quietly, staring at the floor. She couldn't hold the gaze of someone in so much pain...not yet, anyway. "You have to want to live for yourself. There must be some part of Irma Lair that survived Nerissa. I know there is because you fought back against Taranee when you thought she was Nerissa. You weren't willing to go down to her again. I know because you nearly killed Taranee yesterday."

"Look at me, Hay Lin."

Hay Lin swallowed hard and closed her eyes. She knew she couldn't meet that gaze and hold it for an length of time.

"_Look_ at me!"

Hay Lin jumped and immediately met her friend's eyes. Fire flashed behind her blue orbs, the depth of her pain more apparent than had ever been shown. Hay Lin fought against her every instinct to run away right then. She fought her irrational desire to tear her eyes away. She had to be strong; she had to prove she could handle it. But would she be strong enough?

"You can't even look me in the eyes, Hay Lin," Irma said softly, her eyes still smoldering. "You want to run away right now. Every fiber of your being is screaming at you to run...and yet here you sit, fighting the desire to get away. Why?"

Hay Lin cocked her head. What kind of a question was that?

"Because you're my friend and you need me."

Irma nodded. "Yes, Hay Hay, I do need you. But I won't subject you to this again. You're afraid of me." Irma hid her pain, then, to spare her sister the fear and dread.

"I'm not afraid _of_ you, you moron. I'm afraid _for_ you," Hay Lin said angrily. She grabbed Irma's head between her hands and stared deeply into her eyes. "Stop trying to hide from me. I can handle whatever you have to throw at me...including the worst pain you feel."

Irma's eyes flooded, then, and she threw herself on Hay Lin's neck, sobbing.

"I just want it to stop, Hay Hay. I just want it all to stop."

Hay Lin hugged her friend tightly and rubbed her back. "I know, Irma, I know. I would do anything to take it from you. I would give everything to see you happy again."

"She mind-raped me, Hay Lin. Why did she have to do that? The physical stuff I can handle; it's the mental pounding I can't take."

Hay Lin closed her eyes. She couldn't take away Irma's pain, and she couldn't make her forget what had happened. She wracked her brain for something she could do...and came up with little of consequence.

"She can't hurt you anymore...you saw to that. You got the last laugh, Irma. You survived...she didn't. Whenever you can't handle things, just think of that. You _survived_! She has no more power over you; don't let her keep hurting you like this. You have to fight her."

"I don't know how. I can't fight my own head."

"You are the master of yourself, Irma. You tell your head what to think. You tell your brain how to feel. Learn to control your thoughts. Center yourself."

Irma let out a small laugh. "You sound like your grandma."

"I'll take that as a compliment," Hay Lin grinned. "But seriously, Irma, you have to find a way to control what you're letting your brain think. You've got to learn how to distract yourself when those ugly thoughts come in."

"Distract myself...easier said than done, I'm afraid," Irma replied quietly, breaking the embrace. "My head goes a mile a minute these days. It's hard to keep up with it, but I'll try. It's easier to think clearly when you're around."

"Then I guess I'll have to stay around for a while," Hay Lin grinned.

"Thank you for not giving up on me, Hay Hay. Honestly, I think a lot of people would have run away."

"Are you kidding? You're the life of the party, and I'm always on the prowl for a good party. Together, we can handle anything...including Nerissa. We Guardians have to stick together."

"Speaking of Guardians, how's Taranee?"

Hay Lin grimaced. "She's sleeping it off in your guest room. She'll probably be out for a while"

Irma slumped onto her back on the bed. "She saved my life, Hay Lin. If she hadn't shown up, I would have convinced myself the phantoms were real. I would have let me kill me."

"What did you see?"

"Nerissa, of course. And Frost. He took a sledgehammer to my knees. I felt the pain, Hay Hay. I _felt_ it. I knew they were real. And yet...they weren't. How could that be?"

Hay Lin shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe we should check with Taranee. She's the expert on all things mental."

"We should at least check _on_ her, I guess," Irma replied, swinging herself off the bed.

Hay Lin stood up and gazed at her best friend. She reached up and brushed a lock of auburn hair away from her beautiful face.

"You okay?" Hay Lin asked softly.

Irma tried to grin convincingly. "For the first time in what seems like forever...I think I will be."

–

Miranda listened below Irma's bedroom window. So, the brat was still suffering...good! She deserved every bit of pain that could be inflicted on her. Nerissa's murder was still fresh in the spider's mind, and she wanted nothing more than to kill the Water Guardian.

But death was not Raythor's plan. No, he had a more sinister idea in mind for the young Guardian.

And Miranda couldn't wait to help accomplish the diabolical plot.

The beauty of it was that it would only require a few minutes to implement; but it would likely serve to destroy the brat forever. Irreparable harm would be inflicted, and she would never recover.

The plan was practically foolproof. They knew from conversations among the other Guardians that the Water brat had lost her powers, so she would be helpless against the Knights. Frost's strength, Raythor's blade, and Miranda's speed would be unconquerable for a mere human.

The only thing that could possibly ruin everything...was another Guardian. The presence of the Air Witch was an unexpected wrench in the plan. But Miranda was confident Raythor would find a contingency to deal with this new threat.

But right now, he needed intelligence, so Miranda headed back to the campsite.

Ten minutes later, she arrived at the Knights' hiding place. Frost and Raythor were deep in conversation, and so did not immediately notice her approach. She whistled softly to gain their attention, as she strolled towards them.

"What news, Miranda?" Raythor asked as she approached them.

"Good and bad, I'm afraid."

"What's the good news?"

"The Fire Guardian is laid up, and likely will be for a little while. She should be a non-factor."

"And the bad news?" Raythor grinned.

"The Air Witch stays close by. It is doubtful she will leave the Water Guardian's side before the Fire brat recovers."

Raythor nodded. "That does complicate things a little. The presence of another Guardian was always the biggest problem. But the Fire Witch is out of the way, so that makes things a lot easier, in some ways."

Miranda nodded. "The Guardian won't be able to call for help."

"True," Raythor responded, "but neither will her friend let us take her without a fight."

"Then we should bring her along," Frost spoke up. He ground his fist into his hand. "We'll give her the same treatment. Two birds with one stone."

"We're ill-equipped to handle a Guardian, Frost," Raythor said. "A _human_, yes, but a Guardian?"

"She probably won't be in Guardian form," Frost responded, the glee in his eyes still apparent. "Unless the Keeper gets involved, I don't see how this changes things that much."

Raythor regarded the demented Knight with care. Frost had taken Nerissa's death hard, but no one had taken it as hard as Raythor, himself. Nerissa had been his lover, after all. Nevertheless, Frost had been angry at the witch's death. Raythor couldn't see depriving him of his fun with Nerissa's murderer, and he would be damned if he was going to let the Air Guardian stop him. Frost had a point, after all.

"The Guardians believe we were banished," Frost continued. "They would have no reason to fear retaliation."

"Yes, the Water Guardian's inexperience with folding will cost her dearly," Raythor sneered. "She should have let Kandrakar banish us. They wouldn't have made the mistake of sending us to this ugly little planet."

Raythor continued. "We have a unique opportunity to punish Nerissa's murderer; and we're not going to give it up just because another Guardian is present. It goes down tonight...and we'll destroy _two_ Guardians."

–

Taranee was sleeping when Irma and Hay Lin entered the guest room. It was still early in the morning, and Irma's parents were not yet awake. Hay Lin wasn't surprised; they had had a long night.

Irma approached the bed and tentatively touched Taranee's shoulder.

"Taranee, you awake?"

The Fire girl did not respond; only continued steadily breathing in slumber.

Irma shrugged at Hay Lin. "Maybe we should just let her sleep. We can check in with her later."

Hay Lin nodded and the two girls crept out of the room, closing the door softly behind them.

The girls moved silently back to Irma's room, where they brushed their teeth and dressed for the day. They spent much of the morning cleaning Irma's room, as she had definitely neglected to take care of it.

Irma's parents checked on them around 9:30 that morning, and were relieved to see their daughter smiling...and happy. Though Tom was still worried, he accepted Irma's relaxed exterior and marveled at how quickly she had recovered from her "coma."

For her part, Irma was determined to let Hay Lin's presence, and her parents' relief, serve as the distraction she needed to keep her demons at bay. They still pounded on the door, but she simply refused to answer it.

Lunch consisted of sandwiches, potato salad, and fresh lemonade. Then Irma set to work on all the schoolwork she had missed. There was so much, she almost wished her friends hadn't been kind enough to collect it over the past week. And though Hay Lin wasn't much of a tutor, she at least made it fun and entertaining. Anna was surprising good at math, and who knew Tom was a closet history buff?

They were about halfway through when Will and Cornelia showed up...with yet more homework.

"You really shouldn't have," Irma grimaced, as Cornelia passed her a folder with various assignments.

"Just looking out for you, squirt," Cornelia said. "Heaven knows you can't afford to fall behind. Your grades already pretty much suck."

Irma stuck out her tongue and placed the folder on the table. Truth was, she was so glad to see her friends that not even Cornelia's barbs could upset her. Distractions...everything was a distraction; and that's what Irma needed.

"How are you, Irma?" Will asked, turning serious.

Irma shrugged. "I still have a headache, and my science homework isn't helping with that. But I'm sure that will pass, eventually."

"Is it any better than last night?" Cornelia asked.

"A little, I guess. At least now I don't have these little white spots in my vision."

Will regarded the finger-bruises on the sides of Irma's face. She wondered how they would explain those at school...if Irma ever went back. There were only a few weeks left in the year, but finals would upon them soon. As far as Will knew, you couldn't make up a final. Summer School would be the only option.

"What are you looking at, Red?"

Irma's question brought Will out of her reverie.

"Just your face," she answered without thinking.

"Well don't look too hard," Irma quipped. "You'll give yourself a nosebleed."

Will shook her head and grinned. "No, it's not that. The finger-bruises. The look so...painful, I guess."

Irma shrugged again. "I think they give me character. I can tell everyone Martin got a little rough last night."

"Wow...just wow," Cornelia said, as Hay Lin and Will laughed.

It felt good to see her friends laughing...and even better to be the cause of it. Irma hadn't thought she would ever be so easy-going again. Hay Lin's suggestion of distractions was working beautifully.

"We brought Taranee's work for her, too," Will said. "How is she doing?"

"She's still asleep," Anna said, entering the living room. "I just checked on her."

"Wow, she hasn't slept like this since that scorpion-thing stung her last year," Cornelia said.

"She'll be okay, won't she, mom?"

"I'm sure she'll be fine, sweetie," Anna replied, ruffling her daughter's hair. "She just needs some time."

"Well I'm sure she'll want her schoolwork, too," Will said, producing yet another folder.

"I'll see that she gets it," Anna said, taking the folder. "Would you girls like some lemonade?"

"Yes, please," the girls said together.

Anna laughed and headed for the kitchen.

Will stepped forward, then, and hugged her auburn-haired friend.

"We've been so worried, Irma. You can't imagine how good it is to see you awake and laughing."

"I'm trying, Will, I'm trying."

"Okay if we hang out with you today?" Will asked.

"I insist," Irma answered brightly.

So the girls sat down and shared some laughs over homework and lemonade. Irma couldn't believe how easy it was to laugh with her friends. After everything Nerissa had done to her, a part of the real Irma Lair had survived, after all. Hay Lin had been right...Irma _was_ still Irma.

Finally, just before dinner, Irma announced her brain was fried, and that science would have to wait until Taranee woke up...which didn't appear to be any time soon, the way she was slumbering.

Dinner was shared by all, then Will and Cornelia departed for their homes. Hay Lin called her parents and, to her surprise, received permission to once again stay with Irma. It helped that the Lin's knew Irma had been ill, and they were only too proud that their daughter was assisting in the girl's recovery.

Irma was relieved that Hay Lin would be staying the night with her. Daytime was one thing, but the night was what worried her the most. She would be alone with her thoughts, no distractions. Perhaps she would fall asleep before Hay Lin, and her dreams would not be plagued by evil hags and brutish thugs.

After brushing their teeth, Hay Lin and Irma retired to Irma's room. Hay Lin crawled into her sleeping bag, while Irma climbed into bed.

"Thanks for staying with me tonight, Hay Hay. I don't know if I would be able to sleep tonight without you here."

"It's what friends are for," Hay Lin answered brightly. "Besides, you know how much I enjoy a sleep-over."

Hay Lin turned serious, then. "You did really well today, Irma. I think I caught glimpses of my old friend."

Irma nodded. "You did. It felt so good to laugh again. This morning, I wouldn't have thought it possible. It was your suggestion about distractions that did the trick. I simply refused to think about all the ugly stuff. I just let myself enjoy your company, and feel what it was like to be alive. And the more I did, the more I realized...I want to live, Hay Hay. I want to live."

Hay Lin could have cried. Had Irma truly turned a corner? Or was she just saying what Hay Lin wanted to hear?

"You can't imagine how wonderful that is, Irma. I'm so happy right now I could cry."

"As long as you don't snot all over my room...go ahead."

"Eww..."

The girls shared a laugh. Hay Lin was surprised, and delighted, and how easily it seemed to come to Irma. It was almost surreal, and yet, she didn't want to ruin it by voicing her fears aloud. Hay Lin wished Taranee were awake to read Irma's mind.

The girls stayed awake unit the wee hours of the morning talking and giggling quietly. Presently, they became sleepy and started to drift off.

"Hey Irma," Hay Lin mumbled. "Can we open the window tonight? It would be nice to have some air in here."

"Too late...I'm asleep," Irma answered.

Hay Lin giggled groggily, then pulled herself out of her sleeping bag. She crossed the room to the window and pushed it up as quietly as she could. Had she taken a moment to look out, she might have seen Miranda, Raythor, and Frost hiding below the sill. As it was, the Air Guardian was too sleepy to look for anything except her sleeping bag. After all, what threat could possibly hurt them now that their enemies were gone?

Hay Lin collapsed into her sleeping bag. "Good night, Irma."

Irma didn't respond, and all Hay Lin heard was her friend's steady, rhythmic breathing. She only hoped her dreams wouldn't be nightmares.

–

"I hear nothing," Miranda said. "They must be asleep."

"Finally," Frost grumbled.

"Patience is the key," Raythor said. "We only get one shot at this."

"Can you believe the Guardian was stupid enough to invite us in with an open window?" Miranda purred.

"Their false sense of security will be their undoing," Raythor said smugly. "This will make things easier."

With that, he nodded to Frost and the two men stood up. Ever so quietly, they climbed through the open window and dropped silently to the bedroom floor. Frost crept to Irma's bedside, while Raythor padded to Hay Lin. He dropped to one knee and hovered a big hand over her throat. Frost, meanwhile hovered his huge paw over Irma's throat.

At a hiss from Miranda, those hands dropped and closed heavily over their targets. Both girls came immediately awake, shock and terror in the eyes.

"It's judgment day, Guardian," Raythor sneered.

With that, two fists met two faces...and both Guardians descended into blackness.

–

**And there we go. Again, I apologize for the delay in updates. Hopefully, it won't be as long next time. Thanks for reading, and please let me know what you think. Now, on to the acknowledgments.**

**XV-Dragon: **You are consistently the first reviewer out of the box. I appreciate the attention to my stories. The KOV are up to no good, you know that. Wonder what they have in mind...

**Wolfgurl211: **Yes, Irma is awake. And go ahead and wake people up...it's generally pretty funny. Thanks for your PM the other day; I always enjoy hearing from my friends.

**Cartoonloverfan101: **What up? Thanks for another review and for reading. And I promise to stay sex-ay as long as you promise the same thing.

**Quiet Wyatt: **I actually have never read the comics, though I have perused a couple of the graphic novels. So yes, I am basing my stories on the TV Show. Still mad they canceled it. And by the way...what's up with "Little Cuts?" I haven't forgotten it and I hope you haven't, either. But RL being what it is, I get it, so no rush. Anyway, thanks for reading.

**Nemrut: **Hello, my friend. Hope you are well. There's something in your review I think I should address. Perhaps I didn't make it clear enough, so I shall clear it up now. It wasn't the Oracle that sent the KOV to Earth...it was Irma. In fact you may recall in this chapter I actually addressed it...just for you. Irma's inexperience with folding sent the KOV to earth, though she didn't know that. She should have asked for help by someone more experienced, but since when has Irma ever done anything like that? Anyway, glad you brought it up. Stay cool.

**Darkyse: **A Winnebago...yeah I couldn't resist. Can you just see Frost at the wheel? "How do you drive this thing?" giggles Thank you for your kind compliments and for reading.

**Darev: **Another fine review. Yes, Irma is allowing the demons to exist on their own. Wouldn't it be neat if she could actually figure that out? Maybe when Taranee wakes up...guess we'll see. And the KOV? I agree, they have to go.

**DayDreamer9: **Thanks for another review. Yes, Irma's awake...but for how long? Duhn, duhn, duhn! Ahem, that was, um, my attempt at humor, and you're not laughing. Okay, I'll just shutup now. Anyway, thanks for your review...and for reading.

**Xheartkreuzx: **Thank you for reading and taking the time to put down your thoughts. I know it takes a little extra time, and I appreciate it.

**The Pink1: **Another review that made me giggle. I'm glad all the A.D.'s are liking the story. Too bad Irma doesn't feel the same way...Oh well, can't please everyone I guess. I do tend to Irma-bash, don't I? Might have to do something about that...NOT! Anyway, thanks for reading and for making me smile.

**Starwin: **Yet another wonderful review. Thank you for your observations and for helping me to be a better writer. I appreciate the way you tell me what's working and what's disappointing, or not so good, or whatever. And bonus points for use of the word "crescendo."

**Philip Gipson: **Glad you enjoyed your acknowledgment. I try to make things a little personal for everyone. And yes, I do remember the "Real Gostbusters"...I watched it a little when I was a kid. Thanks for the heads-up about the stories. I'll have to check them out. And thank you for reading.

**Nightroad: **Thanks for another great review. In answer to your question about the driver of the Winnebago (Doug Marten), I shall leave that to your own imagination. As for Irma's coma, that will be explored in other chapters, yes. Thanks for your PM the other day. I promise I am alive. :)

**Fireflare14: **Welcome, my friend. Good to see a new face. Thanks for reading my stories, and for leaving a review. I also thank you for your compliments about being talented...you are too kind, and I truly appreciate your words. Thanks again for your thoughts.


	5. Chapter 5

**Hello my friends. Welcome back to my sick and twisted mind. I appreciate all the reviews, and all the comments. Keep them coming, please. :)**

**Now, before we get to the next chapter, we have to take care of a little business:**

_**********WARNNG**********_

**The following chapter could be graphic and disturbing for some. Seriously, this might be the most disturbing chapter ever. Please read with caution.**

**Now that we have that out of the way, may I present:**

**Chapter 5**

Taranee was dreaming. In her mind she had visions of Nerissa dancing around a large bonfire. The huge conflagration licked all around the evil sorceress, but did not consume her, nor did the flames singe her flesh. Nerissa laughed maniacally and raised her gnarled hands to the sky. Only then did Taranee see why the hag's joy so so filled the evil being's breast.

The bonfire was swiftly consuming some bodies.

No, not bodies, but living beings. The personages in the fire were still alive!

Taranee wanted to run to them, to stop the atrocity, but found herself powerless to move. The beings crawled pitifully toward the edge of the fire in a vain attempt to save their already doomed lives. They made no sound, which would have puzzled Taranee had she not been so horrified.

One of the beings managed to extend a hand out of the deadly flames. A hand followed by a head...with red hair.

"Taranee, stop," the head pleaded.

The dark-skinned girl gasped as she recognized the voice. Looking closer at the writhing figures in the midst of the flames, she counted a total of four personages. She knew instinctively who they must be; why else would Nerissa's joy be overflowing?

Taranee fought against the unseen power that held her bound and powerless to act. She could stop this with a wave of her hand. Fire was her servant, after all, and it was bound to obey her.

But she could not move.

"Burn them all, witch," a voice shouted mirthfully. "Destroy the Guardians!"

Taranee glanced at Nerissa as she continued to dance around the bonfire. Her voice, so familiar and chilling, had ordered someone to murder her friends. A growing dread began to creep into Taranee's heart as her head slowly turned from Nerissa's glowing face.

In her nightmare, Taranee screamed noiselessly as she observed her own form raise ember-colored hands and point them at the bonfire. As more flames struck the growing conflagration, only then did Taranee's friends scream.

–

Raythor and Frost carried the unconscious forms of Irma and Hay Lin over their powerful shoulders. A spot had been selected, and at their current pace, they were would arrive in only minutes. Frost practically salivated with the promise of what was to come. His pace increased as he thought of the helpless Guardians writhing beneath him.

Raythor knew what Frost had to be thinking. The brute was as depraved as they came...perfect for easy manipulation. The former castle guard increased his speed to keep up with his bigger lackey.

Miranda, the swiftest of the three Knights, was fast-becoming impatient with her allies' slowness. Though quick compared to humans, Raythor and Frost still couldn't hold a candle to the speed of the pseudo-spider. She found herself relishing in her own imagination; for she, too, could hardly wait for vengeance.

After only a few minutes, the trio finally arrived at their destination. A sign over an iron archway read "Titan Park." Miranda had selected this location herself, believing it would soon hold an awful association for the unfortunate Guardians. As long as they lived in Heatherfield, the two whelps would forever see this amusement park as a symbol of horror.

"Over here," Miranda indicated as she rushed ahead towards the funhouse. The hall of mirrors would be a perfect setting for revenge.

The trio entered the building and quickly navigated to the specified room. True to Miranda's word, they found a round room containing dozens of mirrors. Some made people look bigger, or fatter, while still others elongated or shrunk their forms. Frost laughed in spite of himself as he observed his overgrown personage become wider in the reflection of a glass.

Drop them here," Raythor ordered. "Miranda, bind the Air brat."

"With pleasure," the spider cooed.

Immediately, Miranda set to work cocooning the unconscious Hay Lin. She made the bonds extra tight to ensure maximum discomfort.

Although soon the discomfort would be much, much worse.

Frost dropped his load unceremoniously to the hard floor. Irma did not feel the impact through her induced slumber.

"Finished, Raythor. The whelp will not be able to move a muscle," Miranda said excitedly.

"Good," Raythor grinned. "Tine to wake up the Water brat."

Frost sneered with barely-contained joy. Lowering his weight onto the teenager, he delivered an open-handed slap to Irma's face, his huge hand covering her jaw and cheek. He then back-handed her across the mouth.

Irma groaned and began to stir. Her eyes fluttered open and Frost slowly swam into her vision. She opened her mouth to scream, but the brute quickly clamped a meaty hand over her lips. Irma bit down as hard as she could and tasted the beast's blood.

But Frost only sneered and pressed his hand against her mouth all the harder. Irma squirmed beneath his incredible weight, but realized her strength was far inferior to his. Fighting would get her nowhere.

"Welcome to the funhouse, Guardian," Frost growled. "We're about to have a lot of fun, you and me."

With that, his other hand closed swiftly around Irma's slender throat. He began to squeeze.

Irma choked and coughed, powerless to scream. She beat Frost's massive chest with her fists, but the brute only laughed and continued to squeeze. It wasn't long before Irma began to feel light-headed. Everything seemed to happen in slow-motion as she descended towards unconsciousness. Then, just when she knew she was about to pass out, the pressure on her throat eased. The girl took a massive breath, and began to cough violently.

"Wake up the other Guardian," Raythor ordered. "I want her to see this."

Immediately, Miranda slapped Hay Lin's face, once, twice, thrice. The young Guardian stirred and opened her eyes. Miranda leaped onto her chest and brandished a silver knife, it's long blade pointing at her throat.

"One scream and your sister gets her eyes cut out!"

Hay Lin caught the scream in her throat, a choked sob taking its place. He swallowed hard and squirmed helplessly.

"Sit her up, Miranda," Raythor ordered.

The spider leaped from Hay Lin's chest, landing smoothly at her head. Roughly, she dragged the Asian girl into a sitting position. It did not take Hay Lin long to notice Irma's peril.

"What, how..." Hay Lin stammered.

"Pleased to see us, Guardian?" Raythor sneered. "Because we're thrilled to see you."

"How are you here? We banished you!"

"Well you did a lousy job of it," Raythor answered. "Guess you should have let your precious Oracle do the honors instead of some idiot Guardian. Now your mistake is going to cost you both dearly."

Turning his back on Hay Lin, Raythor nodded calmly to Frost. Frost laughed with mirth and slapped Irma across the face.

"Feel free to scream, Guardian," Frost growled. "No one can hear you in here. And I love it when you scream."

Irma would have screamed, then, had her vocal cords been willing to cooperate. Instead she responded with another violent cough.

"Leave her alone!" Hay Lin shouted.

"Like she left Nerissa alone?" Raythor shouted, turning on the Air Guardian. "She showed no mercy then, and we're not about to show any mercy now, so save your breath. After all...you're next."

Hay Lin heard an awful sound, then. She screamed along with Irma as the latter's left ankle broke under Frost's meaty hands. He then moved up, and smashed her kneecap with his huge fists. Irma screamed in pain and fought against her attacker.

Frost laughed and took her right leg in his hands.

"Ready for more Guardian?" he sneered as he began to squeeze and twist the limb.

The leg snapped like a toothpick.

Irma's screams grew softer as she began to descend into darkness. Still, she fought with her fists as best she could.

Frost caught on of those fists and quickly pulverized Irma's wrist. Mercifully, the young Guardian passed out.

"Stop it," Hay Lin sobbed. "Stop it, please."

She squirmed with all her might, but was powerless against Miranda's cocoon.

The spider had had just about enough of the brat's crying. Quickly, she raked her claws across Hay Lin's beautiful face. Blood ran into the girl's eyes as her porcelain flesh burst open from her left temple to her right jawline.

Miranda then delivered a vicious uppercut to Hay Lin's jaw, causing her to bite through her tongue. Blood began to seep steadily from her lips.

_Taranee,_ Hay Lin called silently.

_Taranee we need help._

–

The four Guardians screamed as Dream-Taranee cooked them alive. The real Taranee sank tot he floor and covered her eyes and ears.

"Taranee," she heard Hay Lin call. "We need help."

But she couldn't help; she couldn't even move from her vantage point.

"Taranee, we need help," Nerissa cackled, mocking the young Guardian. "Let's show them what kind of help we have for them."

Dream-Taranee laughed and added to the fire.

"Taranee, please wake up. We need you."

Taranee fought to drown out Hay Lin's desperate voice. She didn't want to hear her friends dying.

–

_Taranee, please wake up! We need you!_

Hay Lin knew her only chance to save them both lay with Taranee. If she could just get her friend to wake up, then Taranee could help them.

But she heard only deafening silence.

Frost was slapping Irma again. Hay Lin could see blood running down the corners of her friend's mouth. She knew Irma was in bad trouble.

She new the Knights intended to kill her tonight...and Hay Lin would likely join her sister in death.

Finally, Frost succeeded in bringing Irma around. The broken Guardian moaned deeply and opened her eyes. Frost smiled toothily and ran a clawed finger down the side of Irma's cheek. Her flesh pimpled in reaction to his feather-light touch, and she shivered involuntarily.

"For Nerissa, Guardian. For Nerissa," Frost intoned.

With that, his hands moved down to Irma's chest. His fingers grabbed handfuls of her nightshirt and pulled. The material practically disintegrated in his hands, leaving Irma's breasts exposed to the brute's ogling eyes.

Hay Lin screamed as Frost's intentions suddenly became horrifically clear. She thrashed and bucked, but could not free herself.

Irma's own screams joined her sister's and she knew this would be the worst night of her life. She shuddered and thrashed as Frost's hands grabbed at her fragile tissues.

"Beg for me, Guardian," Frost sneered, his thumbs absently stroking Irma's tender nipples. "Beg!"

Irma's voice shook, as Frost's hands violated her. "Please, don't do this. I will do anything, just don't rape me."

"Would you bring Nerissa back if you could?" Frost asked softly, his face hovering inches above Irma's right breast."

"Yes," Irma said without hesitation.

"Would you swear to let yourself be her prisoner forever?" Frost continued as he lowered his mouth, his lips latching onto her hyper-sensitive nipple.

Tears ran silently down Irma's cheeks. "Yes," she sobbed.

Moving to her left nipple, Frost suckled deeply, his teeth leaving marks on Irma's breast. The girl choked on her sobs.

"Please stop. I'm begging you to stop."

"Would you promise to scream whenever I asked you to?" Frost said roughly, as he removed his lips from Irma's breast.

Irma's tears got the better of her voice, and she responded with an emphatic nod.

Frost nodded and continued to leer at Irma's bare chest.

"One last question, then." His hands moved down her stomach to clutch at her shorts. Slowly, he pulled them off to reveal white panties. He ran his hands slowly up her legs, pausing at her thighs.

"Would you let your friend take this punishment in your place?"

Irma turned her head to the right to gaze into Hay Lin's moistened brown eyes. The pools revealed shock, fear, anger, helplessness...and innocence.

Frost's hand grabbed Irma's chin and jerked her eyes back to his.

"Well?" he asked sharply.

Irma closed her eyes and swallowed hard. "No," she whispered.

Frost nodded. "Then accept this vengeance, Guardian; because nothing you do will ever bring Nerissa back."

"No...no, please. Please I'm begging you."

"And I love it when you beg!"

As Frost began to lower Irma's panties, accompanied by the girl's pleas and screams, Hay Lin tried again to mentally cry for help.

_Taranee, please, wake up. Frost is raping Irma. You have to wake up!_

–

"Taranee, please, wake up. Frost is raping Irma. You have to wake up!"

What? Frost? Where? What did Frost have to do with this? And Irma wasn't being raped, she was being burned alive.

Taranee racked her brain to make sense of this new information. Then it struck her...Hay Lin wasn't screaming in the dream; she was screaming for real!

With great effort, Taranee forced herself to take control of her mind. She wrenched herself away from the dream and forced her mind to awaken.

She was in a dark room, the likes of which she did not immediately recognize. But that didn't matter, now.

_Hay Lin, I hear you. Where are you?_

_Taranee! Thank goodness. You have to hurry. Frost is raping Irma at Titan Park. We're in the funhouse, the hall of mirrors._

Immediately, Taranee cut the mental link and contacted the only person who could possibly make a difference in time.

_Will, wake up!_

A few seconds passed...impossibly long to Taranee.

_Taranee, you're awake. Who are you feeling?_

_Nevermind that; you have to teletransport to Titan Park right now. Irma and Hay Lin are in trouble in the funhouse, at the hall of mirrors.._

_What's going on?_

_No time. Just go!_

With that, Taranee cut the mental link and sat up gingerly. Now she remembered. She has passed out after waking Irma from her coma. She had to be in the Lair's guest room. As quickly as she could, she threw her legs over the side of the bed and stood up.

And sat right back down.

Her head swam and she couldn't make her eyes focus. She would have to wait a few minutes to acclimate. She only hoped Will would make it in time.

–

Frost laughed at Irma's vain attempts to save herself. Her broken body couldn't fight back, and her pleas for mercy fell on deaf ears. She lay completely naked beneath his heavy body, her legs spread impossibly far apart.

Knowing there was nothing she could do to stop the impending violation, Irma drove her mind away from the awful horror. She tried to think of herself in the ocean, floating and bobbing gently on the waves.

Frost removed his own shorts and climbed between Irma's legs. He pulled his hips back and prepared to thrust.

Right at that moment, a flash of light appeared and Will Vandom, Guardian of the Heart, stepped into the funhouse. Her young eyes surveyed the scene for a split-second, then her hands flashed into action.

She blew Frost off of her friend with a heavy bolt of lightning. The huge brute flew into a mirror, shattering the glass on impact.

Without hesitation, Will turned her attention to Miranda, and gave her the same treatment. Another bolt, another shattered mirror.

Raythor drew his sword and charged the Guardian leader. Just in time, Will swung her hands toward the Knight and blasted him away, shattering his blade in the process.

The scene of carnage, and Irma's naked, bleeding form, told Will all she needed to know. With a cry of rage, she played bolt after deadly bolt into Frost's flesh. The big man screamed in agony...until he couldn't scream anymore. As unconsciousness took him, Miranda recovered enough to charge the Keeper, her long knife outstretched.

But Will was ready for that...and just waiting for an excuse. She dodged the pseudo-spider easily and turned to fire another bolt at the creature. She maintained a steady stream of bolts, and not even the smell of singed hair could stop her.

Only when Raythor grabbed her from behind did the deadly attack cease. Without missing a beat, Will slammed her elbow into the former guard's gut. His grip loosened enough for her to turn about and blast Raythor with a heavy bolt.

She pinned his writhing body to the wall as she advanced on him menacingly. She would likely have killed the Knight had not Hay Lin's voice interrupted.

"Behind you!"

Will instinctively moved to the right as Miranda flew past her left shoulder. Though the shapeshifter landed easily on her feet, it was not enough to save her from the angry Keeper.

Only after unconsciousness took Miranda, did the lightning assault cease. Breathing heavily, her anger not assuaged in the least, Will turned to her friends. Irma was curled into a ball as best she could manage, while Hay Lin was struggling with her cocoon.

Will stalked to Miranda's still form and confiscated her long silver knife. Quickly, she used that knife to free Hay Lin from her bonds, then rushed to Irma's side, Hay Lin right behind her.

"Irma, it's okay now," Hay Lin intoned. Her sister lay sobbing uncontrollably on the floor, her entire body shaking.

Will reached out a hesitant hand and laid it gently on Irma's shoulder. The reaction was so violent, Will wished she had never done it. Irma screamed in terror, and tried to roll away, but her injuries prevented her from moving. Nevertheless, she used her good hand to slap at Will's hand.

Will immediately removed the contact and looked at Hay Lin in horror.

"How far did it go?" the redhead asked tentatively.

"No penetration, if that's what you're asking," Hay Lin responded through her own impending sobs. "But he...he put his hands on...all over her..."

Being unable to control it any longer, Hay Lin buried her still-bleeding face in Will's shoulder.

"It was so awful. How could anyone do that?"

Will closed her eyes and just held her friend. She let Hay Lin cry and tried not to allow her own emotions to surface. She wanted the Knights dead, but knew it was not her place to enact justice...or revenge.

Suddenly, another figure came bursting into the room. Will reacted immediately by throwing Hay Lin behind her and raising her hands.

"Whoa, Will, settle down. It's just me."

Will recognized Cornelia's voice immediately and lowered her hands. Seeing this, the Earth Guardian strode into the room, a bulky bundle in her arms. Without hesitation, she stalked to Irma's sobbing form and threw a blanket over her nude and broken body.

"Taranee contacted me," Cornelia said quietly. "She said to come to the funhouse with a blanket. She filled me in on the way."

Will nodded. "She called me, too, but didn't tell me what was going on. Didn't take a rocket scientist to figure it out, though."

"Did he...?"

Will shook her head. "No penetration, but I gather there were...other things."

Cornelia closed her eyes briefly in relief. Seeing the Knights unconscious around the room, she stood up and moved quickly to Frost. Gathering all her might, she punched him in the jaw...and broke her hand.

"Ow!"

"Cornelia! What are you thinking?" Will rose and moved to her friend's side.

"You're not in Guardian form; you can't hurt that guy as a 14 year-old girl."

"Maybe not, but I had to do something."

"You _did_ do something. You helped Irma preserve a little dignity with your blanket."

"Yeah, _that_ will put these scumbags in their place."

"It's not about that, Cornelia. It's about helping Irma."

"Yeah I guess you're right. Still, I wish I could have had a piece of them."

Will examined Cornelia's wrist and her already-swelling hand.

"I think you broke it," she said grimly.

"Probably. Mind turning me all Guardian so it doesn't hurt so much?"

Will sighed. "Guardians, unite!"

In a flash of bright lights, Cornelia and Hay Lin became their Guardian selves. Irma, of course, remained Irma.

Cornelia flexed her wrist experimentally. "Hmm, hardly hurts at all, now. Thanks, Will."

The redhead nodded and turned her attention back to Hay Lin and Irma. The Air girl was leaning over her friend and speaking softly. Will couldn't make out the words, but somehow she felt she wasn't meant to.

"What are we going to do with all the trash in the funhouse?" Cornelia asked, bringing Will back around to the problem of the Knights. In reality, the Keeper was more concerned about Irma than about her enemies, but she figured Hay Lin had Irma well in-hand. After all, Irma wasn't letting anyone near her at the moment, and Cornelia had a point. They couldn't let three otherworldly beings be found at Titan Park.

Unfortunately, Will found it impossible to be objective at the moment. She wanted to kill the Knights, morality and virtue be damned. They had tried to commit the most heinous act a person could commit against a woman, and for that they deserved death. No, they had tried to commit this heinous act against a mere _child_, not a woman.

For that, they deserved a slow, painful death.

Will growled audibly and raised her hand to point at Frost, still unconscious amidst the broken glass of several mirrors. With loathing in her heart, she fired a stream of lightning bolts at the brute. She knew the bolts would eventually kill him...and she didn't care.

This was for Irma and Hay Lin. For Cornelia and Taranee. This was for everyone Frost had ever hurt in his life. Justice...this was justice.

"Will what are you doing?"

The Keeper barely heard Hay Lin's cry. Subconsciously, she was aware that what she was doing was not exactly _right_, but, consciously, she just didn't care. She wanted the Knights to suffer as much as they had made her friends suffer tonight. Her only regret was that Frost was not awake to feel the pain of his flesh searing away.

A blast of air sent Will tumbling to the floor. Shocked, the redhead rose quickly and looked around for the new threat. It didn't take long for her to realize what had happened, however, and she lowered her hands.

"What do you think you're doing, Will?" Hay Lin demanded, shock and fear in her voice.

"What should have been done long ago," Will answered. "The Knights of Vengeance are a menace. They need to be taken out...permanently."

"By you? Who made you judge, jury, and executioner?"

Cornelia watched the argument with some amusement. Her head swiveled back and forth as if watching a tennis match. She couldn't wait to hear Will's answer.

"Nobody _has_ to make me executioner, Hay Lin. They tried to rape a child; they tried to rape _Irma_, your best friend. Why are you fighting me on this? I know we both want to see some justice, here."

"But at what price? You would lose your powers, maybe worse. You know the Oracle and the Council would be mad; they wouldn't, _couldn't_, let this go. I'm not willing to give up my friend for some bassackwards form of justice. This isn't the way."

"Great, so we banish them again so they can find their way back and complete the job this time?" Will yelled. "Are you willing to play with Irma's life like that?"

"I'm not willing to let you screw yourself, Will. There has to be another way. We just need to find it."

"I'm not going to banish them to another world. They're evil through and through. They'll just take their anger out on another poor victim."

Hay Lin was thoughtful. "Okay, you're right about that, but it's still not our place to kill them."

"Will threw up her hands and let them drop violently. "Then who should we ask? Should we put a notice on the board at the store? Looking for hired killer to whack some aliens?"

"Don't patronize me, Will," Hay Lin said quietly, her lower lip starting to quiver.

"Then don't be stupid. If not us, then who?"

"Kandrakar."

The answer came so suddenly and unexpectedly, that both Will and Hay Lin snapped their heads to Cornelia.

"Excuse me?" they said together.

"Kandrakar," Cornelia repeated. "We should take them to Kandrakar and see what they will do."

"Kandrakar," Will said menacingly. "They're part of the reason we're in this mess. If they had banished the Knights right the first time, this wouldn't have happened."

"But they didn't banish the Knights," Cornelia said. "Irma did. Remember?

"She banished the Knights back to Earth? Come on, Corny."

"Will, don't call me Corny, and try to think back to that day. Really think. Who created the fold?"

Will screwed up her concentration as she tried to recall the events of that fateful day. It seemed so long ago. Finally, her mind's eye began to cooperate.

"Irma did," Will said finally. "Irma created the fold."

Cornelia nodded. "Yeah, she did. Her inexperience in folding sent them here."

Will shook her head in amazement. "Okay, I'll give you that, but that still doesn't mean the Council will do anything useful about these thugs."

Shouldn't it be up to Irma?" Hay Lin said softly.

"Look at her, Hay Lin," Will said, her hand indicating the still-sobbing girl under Cornelia's blanket. "Do you really think she's in any position to make any decisions right now?"

"Why are you being like this? Why are you attacking us?"

"I'm not attacking you, Hay Lin. I just want you to see what you're asking. Yes, it should be up to Irma more than any of us. But why should we force her to make this kind of decision? In her current state, I seriously doubt she can make an unbiased choice."

"And you can?" Hay Lin asked icily, folding her arms across her chest.

Will glared at Hay Lin and for a second, she wanted to fry the smugness right off the smaller girl's face. Unfortunately, Cornelia stepped between the two Guardians.

"Okay, you two, I think we both need to go to our own corners, now. Let's all agree that punishment is up to Irma, but that she's in no state to deliver judgment. So that still leaves us with the question of what to do with them until she is."

"Wow, what did I miss?"

"Hey, Taranee," Cornelia greeted her friend. "Not much. Just Will and Hay Lin about to go all Thunderdome."

Both Guardians glared at the blonde.

Taranee's eyes flicked from Will, to Hay Lin, to Cornelia, and back. "Wow," she said again.

The Fire girl staggered into the hall of mirrors and sat down on the floor next to Irma.

Will and Hay Lin forgot their tiff and moved to stand near Taranee.

"How is she?" Taranee asked quietly.

"She's terrified, she's hurt. She's been violated," Hay Lin answered.

Taranee closed her eyes. "Then I was too late. I didn't hear you in time."

"You heard me in time to stop him from...you know. But not before he...I'm sorry, I can't talk about it."

Hay Lin wandered to the corner of the room and stood near Frost. She looked upon his unconscious form with extreme loathing. Maybe, just maybe, Will was right.

With a shout of anger, she kicked the big Knight in the head. Then she knelt down and grabbed him by his ears. She began slamming his head into the floor.

"Why did you do this? Demon-spawn, why were you ever born?"

Cornelia moved quickly and grabbed her friend around her waist. With great effort, she pulled the angry Guardian away from her victim. Hay Lin fought like a lion.

"Let me go! I'll kill him! I'll kill him!"

"No, Hay Lin, no," Cornelia shouted. "Take your own advice...don't screw yourself."

But Hay Lin wasn't listening. She fought and fought until she got free. Racing over for Miranda's knife, she scooped it up and turned her fierce anger back to Frost. With a barbaric cry, she raised the blade over her head and charged.

She would have made it, too, had not linebacker Will interfered. Hay Lin found herself sprawled on the floor, the knife knocked from her grip. Yet even with her wind knocked out, she continued to fight.

"Hay Lin, stop it!" Will shouted.

Still Hay Lin fought, but she was getting tired. Her face hurt from Miranda's claws, and she had bruising around her mouth from where Raythor had knocked her out. Still, she was too much for Will to handle alone.

Fortunately, Cornelia saw this and joined in the fray. The combined weight of Cornelia and Will was too much for the smallest Guardian, and she went limp, her tears finally breaking their borders.

All the frustrations, the helplessness, the sorrow, of the past hour came gushing out. Will and Cornelia looked at each other and blinked. Then both girls grabbed their sobbing friend in a bear hug. They let Hay Lin cry, her tears mixing with blood. Cornelia used her shirt to wash the blood and tears from her friend's face.

"It'll be okay, Hay Lin," she said. "It'll be okay."

Hay Lin clung to her friends and cried until she couldn't anymore.

"I'm sorry," she said eventually. "I shouldn't be doing this. I need to be strong for Irma."

"Irma has all of us to be strong for her," Will said. "And we're here to be strong for you, too."

Hay Lin grinned. "Thanks, guys."

"Can we let you up, now?" Cornelia asked.

"Yeah. I'm okay now. Sorry. I just let this madness take over."

"So now you know how I feel," Will grinned.

"You know, I think I do," Hay Lin answered. "And I can see where you have a point, too."

"Maybe, but so do you," Will said. "We should let Irma decide; it's her they should have to answer to."

The three girls rose awkwardly from the ground and turned back to Taranee and Irma.

Taranee was staring intently into Irma's face, her eyes half-closed.

"What is she doing?" Cornelia asked.

Will shrugged. "Let's go ask her."

The trio trooped to Taranee and stood quietly for a time. Some minutes passed, then Cornelia couldn't stand it anymore.

"Taranee, what are you doing?"

"I'm trying to calm her mind," Taranee answered slowly, without looking up.

"And how's that going for you?"

"If you could stop making so much noise, I think I'm reaching her."

Cornelia closed her mouth instantly.

After several minutes, Taranee sighed. "It's no use; I can't reach her. Maybe if-"

"Way ahead of you, T. Guardians, unite!"

Taranee immediately became Guardian of Fire, and resumed staring at Irma.

After another half-hour, she looked up. "I think I have her calmed a little. At least she knows she's safe now."

"Can we touch her?" Hay Lin asked.

Taranee nodded. "I think so, yes."

Tentatively, Hay Lin reached out a hand to rest it on Irma's shoulder.

"Irma?"

Irma choked on a sob. "H-Hay Lin."

Hay Lin nodded, even though Irma's back was to her. "It's okay, now. You're safe."

Irma shook her head. "No one is s-safe as long as the-they're around."

Hay Lin had to agree, but she didn't think it wise to do so out loud.

"I hurt, Hay -Hay. I hurt everywhere."

"I know. We'll get you some help."

"N-not yet. K-K-Kandrakar. I n-need water."

"You're thirsty?" Hay Lin asked.

"No, Hay Lin," Taranee answered. "She wants to be in the water."

"Oh. Of course she does. How could I be so stupid?"

"Hey, you've been traumatized, too," Cornelia said. "Stop beating yourself up."

"Will the Council let Irma use her Chamber?" Hay Lin asked.

"If they don't, we'll just start ripping guts out until they do," Cornelia answered firmly.

"Irma, I think you need to go to a hospital," Will said. "You need tending to, and your parents will be worried. We can take the Knights to Kandrakar and have the Council hold them until you're better."

"She's right, Irma," Taranee said. "We need to think of you and your parents, now."

"They can help you," Cornelia agreed. "You're all busted up. You need medical attention."

Irma couldn't think. She knew she was hurt, but she just anted to feel safe.

And water made her feel safe.

Nonetheless, she knew her friends wouldn't give up...and that they were right. So she nodded and fell silent.

"I'll go call an ambulance from the pay phones," Cornelia said.

"And I'll go talk to Irma's parents," Will sighed. "But first..."

She whipped out the Heart and transformed everyone back to human form.

"Can't have everyone seeing us as Guardians," she said.

"Good point," Cornelia said as she rose and left the funhouse.

"You two, stay with Irma," Will said. "It might be a good idea if one of you could ride in the ambulance with her...if her parents don't beat it here."

Taranee indicated Hay Lin for the job. The smallest Guardian nodded.

"Wish me luck," Will said as she left the funhouse.

"Good luck," Taranee and Hay Lin murmured together.

–

**And there we have it. I know it may have been difficult for some people to read, and I hope I haven't just turned a lot of stomachs. Anyway, thanks for putting up with it. Please let me know what you think. Thanks for reading. Now to business. As always, I wish to personally acknowledge all my reviewers.**

**XV-Dragon: **Once again, the first reviewer out of the box. Seems I hit a button with you somewhat. Getting tired of Irma getting picked on? Just wait...things have a way of working out, right?

**Lexvan: **Hey there. I think you may be a new face. Welcome! Thanks for taking the time to leave your thoughts. You were right; the Guardians saved the day..sort of. Wonder what they'll do next...

**Nightroad: **Hello again, my friend. Thanks for always being a fan. I don't feel sympathy for the Knights, either. Especially now. They deserve everything they get.

**Cartoonloverfan101: **Butt slapping is permitted, but I warn you...it's a big butt. Thanks for your compliments.

**Wolfgurl211: **Hello my friend. A chainsaw? Why didn't I think of that?

**Starwin: **Hello again, and thank you for another excellent review. I like your imagery. So tell me, were you right?

**Shocklance: **I agree...people need to try to face their fears and their demons whenever possible. Easy for me to say, though...I haven't been through anywhere near this kind of crap.

**Quiet Wyatt: **Well, well...he lives! I know, I know, pot calling kettle black. Still, I had to say it. wink How was Scotland?

**Darkyse: **Hello again, friend. Thank you for taking time to put down a few thoughts. What college do you want to attend, if you don't mind me asking?

**Fireflare14: **Thank you for sticking with us, my friend. I appreciate all comments and I especially appreciate compliments. You have given both, so I especially appreciate you.

**DayDreamer9: **I seem to have pushed some buttons. grin Thanks for dropping hints...you have some really creative ideas. Hope you liked the way Taranee and Will saved the day. As for your comment in regards to the Oracle forbidding the Knights to touch the Guardians: He actually didn't do that. He simply agreed with Irma's choice to banish them.

**Philip Gipson: **My dear Philip: thanks for reading and for always leaving a review. I also appreciate the emails and such you send. Thanks for being a friend.

**Darev: **It would be cool to send someone into Irma's head. Maybe I'll play with that...Anyway, thanks for leaving your thoughts and for saying "Loyalty" is a good story. I'm glad you liked it.


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